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
Building up defense industry capacity will take time and so Europe will probably continue to rely on imports for the bulk of its military needs in the short term.
—
Anna Cooban, CNN, 6 Mar. 2025
Recessions, while painful in the short term, historically been followed by long stretches of prosperity, so much so that staying invested through thick and thin has nearly always been the way to go.
—John Buckingham, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025
In the short term, however, the first impact of Ansar Allah's return to the U.S. list of foreign terrorist organizations is likely to be felt by humanitarian organizations, which have denounced the move since it was first unveiled last month.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 4 Mar. 2025
In the short term, the nightspots may see less traffic.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 4 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the short term
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Anna Cooban, CNN, 6 Mar. 2025
Recessions, while painful in the short term, historically been followed by long stretches of prosperity, so much so that staying invested through thick and thin has nearly always been the way to go.
—John Buckingham, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025
In the short term, however, the first impact of Ansar Allah's return to the U.S. list of foreign terrorist organizations is likely to be felt by humanitarian organizations, which have denounced the move since it was first unveiled last month.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 4 Mar. 2025
In the short term, the nightspots may see less traffic.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 4 Mar. 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 11 Mar. 2025.
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