short-term
Americanadjective
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covering or applying to a relatively short period of time.
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maturing over a relatively short period of time.
a short-term loan.
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(of profit, loss, interest, etc.) of or relating to a short term, especially one year or less.
adjective
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of, for, or extending over a limited period
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finance extending over, maturing within, or required within a short period of time, usually twelve months
short-term credit
short-term capital
Etymology
Origin of short-term
First recorded in 1900–05
Explanation
Anything short-term doesn't last long. A short-term romance might be for a few weeks instead of a lifetime, and a short-term job won't provide you long-term security. The word term often applies to units of time, like a politician's term in office. This word has to do with time, but only small amounts of time: anything short-term occurs for a little while, and then it's over. A short-term illness goes away quickly, and a short-term problem won't weigh you down for long. The opposite of short-term is long-term, which refers to things happening for a greater period of time.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Apart from his exceedingly short-term residency in the district, questions have also been raised about Flippo’s opaque finances.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026
Treasury isn’t printing money, the effect may be similar because it may issue short-term T-bills, which are like cash equivalents, to buy back longer-dated Treasurys, according to Coltman.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 22, 2026
As Steve Chalke puts it: "We need the government to come up with a short-term plan for the next few years."
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026
Yields typically edge up or down based on the shifting outlook for short-term rates set by the Fed, which investors glean from economic data and comments from Fed officials.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
To make money on Avant!’s stock, however, he’d probably have to stomach short-term losses, as investors puked up shares in horrified response to negative publicity.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
