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
In the short term, hybrids may help car companies meet more stringent emissions regulations.
—
Aarian Marshall, WIRED, 13 Sep. 2023
Economists say manufacturers’ increased spending on building factories reflects their confidence in the long term, even if data show demand is expected to slow in the short term.
—Bryan Mena, CNN, 9 Sep. 2023
There is also the separate issue of determining WIC funding for the next fiscal year, beyond the emergency spending the White House says is required for keeping the program afloat in the short term.
—Grace Segers, The New Republic, 8 Sep. 2023
Exposure in the short term can exacerbate respiratory diseases such as asthma and lead to hospital visits with respiratory symptoms.
—Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Sep. 2023
One reason toxic managing up works to boost someone’s career—at least in the short term—is that people are vain, says Abbajay.
—Lila MacLellan, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2023
Perhaps not so great in the short term for some farmers in California.
—Wade Davis, Rolling Stone, 3 Sep. 2023
A number of United States and European officials are in agreement that without the leadership of Prigozhin, Wagner will be much less effective in the short term.
—Brady Knox, Washington Examiner, 2 Sep. 2023
There is some evidence that boosting increases antibody levels in the short term, which might be helpful.
—Tanya Lewis, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2023
See More
Aarian Marshall, WIRED, 13 Sep. 2023
Economists say manufacturers’ increased spending on building factories reflects their confidence in the long term, even if data show demand is expected to slow in the short term.
—Bryan Mena, CNN, 9 Sep. 2023
There is also the separate issue of determining WIC funding for the next fiscal year, beyond the emergency spending the White House says is required for keeping the program afloat in the short term.
—Grace Segers, The New Republic, 8 Sep. 2023
Exposure in the short term can exacerbate respiratory diseases such as asthma and lead to hospital visits with respiratory symptoms.
—Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Sep. 2023
One reason toxic managing up works to boost someone’s career—at least in the short term—is that people are vain, says Abbajay.
—Lila MacLellan, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2023
Perhaps not so great in the short term for some farmers in California.
—Wade Davis, Rolling Stone, 3 Sep. 2023
A number of United States and European officials are in agreement that without the leadership of Prigozhin, Wagner will be much less effective in the short term.
—Brady Knox, Washington Examiner, 2 Sep. 2023
There is some evidence that boosting increases antibody levels in the short term, which might be helpful.
—Tanya Lewis, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'the short term.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near 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 21 Sep. 2023.
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