the long term
noun
: a long period of time after the beginning of something
She is investing for the long term.
I think it's the better choice over the long term.
an investment that should do well in the long term
These changes may improve profits now, but they are going to cost us money in the long term.
Examples of the long term in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The club must also configure what’s most valuable in the long term.
—
Katie Woo, New York Times, 11 May 2026
Markets can adjust in the long term, but a company still needs to make it through short-term disruption.
—Victor Nian, Fortune, 10 May 2026
In the long term, the researchers aim to develop practical hybrid systems that merge biology and electronics for applications in both computing and medicine.
—Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 8 May 2026
That’s good news in the long term for the chains, if not the workers therein.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for the long term
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Katie Woo, New York Times, 11 May 2026
Markets can adjust in the long term, but a company still needs to make it through short-term disruption.
—Victor Nian, Fortune, 10 May 2026
In the long term, the researchers aim to develop practical hybrid systems that merge biology and electronics for applications in both computing and medicine.
—Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 8 May 2026
That’s good news in the long term for the chains, if not the workers therein.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for the long term
Cite this Entry
“The long term.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20long%20term. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
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