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
The 78-year-old, who has been attending games at the Bernabeu since the 1950s, is looking for a way to retain control in the short term, while safeguarding the club’s competitiveness at the top level far into the future.
—
Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
With China’s tight grip on rare earths, Wang said the US dependence on China would continue, at least in the short term.
—John Liu, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2025
Because nobody knows what is going to happen in the short term, my consistent/boring advice is to create a financial plan that incorporates good and bad times, and an investment strategy that will see you through both.
—Jill Schlesinger, Mercury News, 13 Oct. 2025
Similar efforts by Microsoft and Meta have run into delays or failed to match the performance of Nvidia chips, according to media reports, and analysts believe custom chips do not pose a threat to Nvidia’s dominance in the short term.
—Reuters, NBC news, 13 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the short term
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Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
With China’s tight grip on rare earths, Wang said the US dependence on China would continue, at least in the short term.
—John Liu, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2025
Because nobody knows what is going to happen in the short term, my consistent/boring advice is to create a financial plan that incorporates good and bad times, and an investment strategy that will see you through both.
—Jill Schlesinger, Mercury News, 13 Oct. 2025
Similar efforts by Microsoft and Meta have run into delays or failed to match the performance of Nvidia chips, according to media reports, and analysts believe custom chips do not pose a threat to Nvidia’s dominance in the short term.
—Reuters, NBC news, 13 Oct. 2025
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 20 Oct. 2025.
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