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
Industry insiders acknowledge that export controls could keep a lid on prices in the short term.
—
Matt Egan, CNN Money, 6 May 2026
More money, more capex While more hyperscaler buildout is good for Nvidia in the long term, since much of that infrastructure will rely on Nvidia systems, the changing goal posts of additional expenditures could be weighing on the stock in the short term.
—Tobias Burns, CNBC, 6 May 2026
The Reds then shifted production and distribution of their telecasts to the league, which is selling direct-to-consumer subscription packages — a less lucrative plan, at least in the short term.
—Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 5 May 2026
The goal must be to just make the boss happy in the short term.
—Quinta Jurecic, The Atlantic, 3 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for the short term
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Matt Egan, CNN Money, 6 May 2026
More money, more capex While more hyperscaler buildout is good for Nvidia in the long term, since much of that infrastructure will rely on Nvidia systems, the changing goal posts of additional expenditures could be weighing on the stock in the short term.
—Tobias Burns, CNBC, 6 May 2026
The Reds then shifted production and distribution of their telecasts to the league, which is selling direct-to-consumer subscription packages — a less lucrative plan, at least in the short term.
—Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 5 May 2026
The goal must be to just make the boss happy in the short term.
—Quinta Jurecic, The Atlantic, 3 May 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 May. 2026.
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