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
Nvidia's decision to aggressively compete for market share in the consumer PC market, where Intel, AMD, and Apple, have reigned supreme, reinforces our belief that this a stock to own for the long term.
—
Zev Fima, CNBC, 1 June 2026
Aesthetic medicine becomes a testing ground for new treatments, where outcomes are easily measured and observed, in the short term and the long term, bridging between theory and practice.
—Dr. Tal Patalon, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
Attracting younger consumers could help Hennessy in the long term, too.
—Jordan Valinsky, CNN Money, 1 June 2026
The creators who win in the long term won’t be the ones who try to reach the most people, but the ones who matter most to the right people.
—Stephanie Hind, Rolling Stone, 1 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for the long term
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Zev Fima, CNBC, 1 June 2026
Aesthetic medicine becomes a testing ground for new treatments, where outcomes are easily measured and observed, in the short term and the long term, bridging between theory and practice.
—Dr. Tal Patalon, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
Attracting younger consumers could help Hennessy in the long term, too.
—Jordan Valinsky, CNN Money, 1 June 2026
The creators who win in the long term won’t be the ones who try to reach the most people, but the ones who matter most to the right people.
—Stephanie Hind, Rolling Stone, 1 June 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 4 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
