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

The short-term correlation between Bitcoin and the Nasdaq 100 hit a record earlier this month, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. —Denitsa Tsekova, Fortune, 23 Nov. 2025

Store in the Right Place For short-term storage, your leftovers should last in your refrigerator (kept at or below 40°F) for up to four days. —Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 23 Nov. 2025

Max Scherzer and Chris Bassitt are free agents, with Scherzer seemingly the more likely pitcher to return on a short-term deal. —Nelson Espinal, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2025

The Heat is hopeful his hip injury is a short-term issue. —Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 21 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1901, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for short-term

• affirm
• bookworm
• confirm
• cutworm
• earthworm
• infirm
• midterm
• tapeworm
• wireworm
• angiosperm
• echinoderm
• berm

Kids Definition

short-term

adjective

-ˈtərm

: short-range

short-term goals

Legal Definition

short term

noun

: short rate