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
In the short term, elections will be held to replace Raisi.
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NPR, 20 May 2024
Some in the government have talked down the fiscal impact of the compensation: one official said the Treasury would be able to treat the sum as a one-off in the short term that doesn’t affect the government’s long-term tax and spending plans.
—Joe Mayes, Fortune Europe, 20 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for the short term 
NPR, 20 May 2024
Some in the government have talked down the fiscal impact of the compensation: one official said the Treasury would be able to treat the sum as a one-off in the short term that doesn’t affect the government’s long-term tax and spending plans.
—Joe Mayes, Fortune Europe, 20 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for the short term
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 29 May. 2024.
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