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
Producers could store crude temporarily, reduce exports in the short term, and release supplies once the strait reopens.
—
CNBC, 4 Mar. 2026
That money would immediately be injected into the industry to help farmers in the short term.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 4 Mar. 2026
But that will only happen if the Canadiens avoid missteps along the way, because one or two wrong moves meant to help the short term can derail the long term and potentially delay the opening of that contention window simply to open a competitive window.
—Arpon Basu, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2026
These approaches can help in the short term, but their effects are limited.
—Emily Naiser, The Conversation, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the short term
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CNBC, 4 Mar. 2026
That money would immediately be injected into the industry to help farmers in the short term.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 4 Mar. 2026
But that will only happen if the Canadiens avoid missteps along the way, because one or two wrong moves meant to help the short term can derail the long term and potentially delay the opening of that contention window simply to open a competitive window.
—Arpon Basu, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2026
These approaches can help in the short term, but their effects are limited.
—Emily Naiser, The Conversation, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for 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 11 Mar. 2026.
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