the short term

noun

: a short period of time at the beginning of something

It will meet our needs, at least for the short term.

His plan has advantages over the short term.

—usually used in the phrase in the short term

It won't make any difference in the short term.

These changes may improve profits in the short term, but they are going to cost us money in the long term.

Examples of the short term in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

And the good news is that, in both red and blue states, there are models designed to keep citizens well in the short term and live longer, healthier lives in the long run—that point the way forward and through this time of uncertainty and tumult. —

Dr. Ashwin Vasan, TIME, 29 Jan. 2025 All these employees are at risk of losing their pay in the short term and their jobs in the long term. —

Fatma Tanis, NPR, 24 Jan. 2025 Therefore, wine companies entering this space should be careful not to ramp up to large volumes for the long term, but the introduction of one AF wine to an existing brand line may make sense for the short term. —

Liz Thach, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025 In the short term, the loss of housing stock due to the recent fires will only worsen Southern California’s housing crisis. —

Evan Bush, NBC News, 19 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for the short term

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“The short term.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20short%20term. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.

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