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 termIt 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
And yet, at least in the short term, none of this seemed to be making anyone feel safer.
—
Andrew Marantz, The New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2024
There also have also been critics in Mebane, who urged the town council to consider the traffic implications of Buc-ee’s in the short term and the climate impact in the long term.
—Drew Jackson, Miami Herald, 25 Apr. 2024
Jamie Moraga, Franklin Revere NO: Further cuts are unlikely in the short term unless the monthly Consumer Price Index shows inflation decreasing toward the 2 percent goal.
—Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Apr. 2024
In the short term, money raised from the tax would support security improvements like more street lights, police officers and an ambassador program in the areas closest to the bar district.
—Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Apr. 2024
Ad hoc solutions to aid distribution, while useful in the short term, can easily lead to chaos on the ground if they are not linked to any clear long-term strategy for how humanitarian issues will be addressed after the fighting stops.
—Shira Efron, Foreign Affairs, 15 Apr. 2024
In the short term, at least, the pain to the local economy caused by the Zwickau factory’s conversion was surprisingly mild, local officials, business leaders and worker representatives say.
—Jack Ewing, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2024
Beyond support in the short term, however, the broader question doubles as the existential issue in Berkeley: Will the school embrace athletes as employees when that NCAA change becomes official in a few years?
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 12 Apr. 2024
Admitting his truth has cost Cole some respect in the short term, but success in hip-hop, a genre that celebrated its 50th anniversary last year, is now partly about longevity.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2024
Andrew Marantz, The New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2024
There also have also been critics in Mebane, who urged the town council to consider the traffic implications of Buc-ee’s in the short term and the climate impact in the long term.
—Drew Jackson, Miami Herald, 25 Apr. 2024
Jamie Moraga, Franklin Revere NO: Further cuts are unlikely in the short term unless the monthly Consumer Price Index shows inflation decreasing toward the 2 percent goal.
—Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Apr. 2024
In the short term, money raised from the tax would support security improvements like more street lights, police officers and an ambassador program in the areas closest to the bar district.
—Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Apr. 2024
Ad hoc solutions to aid distribution, while useful in the short term, can easily lead to chaos on the ground if they are not linked to any clear long-term strategy for how humanitarian issues will be addressed after the fighting stops.
—Shira Efron, Foreign Affairs, 15 Apr. 2024
In the short term, at least, the pain to the local economy caused by the Zwickau factory’s conversion was surprisingly mild, local officials, business leaders and worker representatives say.
—Jack Ewing, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2024
Beyond support in the short term, however, the broader question doubles as the existential issue in Berkeley: Will the school embrace athletes as employees when that NCAA change becomes official in a few years?
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 12 Apr. 2024
Admitting his truth has cost Cole some respect in the short term, but success in hip-hop, a genre that celebrated its 50th anniversary last year, is now partly about longevity.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'the short term.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near the short term
Cite this Entry
“The short term.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20short%20term. Accessed 2 May. 2024.
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