short-term

adjective

ˈshȯrt-ˌtərm 

1

: occurring over or involving a relatively short period of time

2

a

: of, relating to, or constituting a financial operation or obligation based on a brief term and especially one of less than a year

b

: generated by assets held for less than six months

Synonyms of short-term

• temporary
• interim

Examples of short-term in a Sentence

this is only a short-term solution to a long-term problem

Recent Examples on the Web

Many of the staff working at Cape Kidnappers are young adults from abroad on short-term work visas—some are here to combine their hospitality work with their conservation work at Cape Sanctuary (more on that below), as well as with some personal travel in New Zealand. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 May 2026

These should move beyond unpredictable and short-term premiums and prioritise true collaboration by blending local insight with strategic direction, instead of a largely top-down model. —Indrabati Lahiri, Forbes.com, 25 May 2026

What looked to some like retrenchment was, in reality, a deliberate bet on long-term resilience over short-term momentum. —Richard McCathron, Fortune, 25 May 2026

On daily charts, flag breakouts have bullish short-term implications that can persist for days or weeks. —Katie Stockton, CNBC, 25 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1901, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for short-term

• affirm
• bookworm
• budworm
• confirm
• cutworm
• earthworm
• infirm
• midterm
• ringworm
• tapeworm
• wireworm
• angiosperm

Kids Definition

short-term

adjective

-ˈtərm

: short-range

short-term goals

Legal Definition

short term

noun

: short rate