short-form

adjective

ˈshȯrt-ˌfȯrm 

: notably brief in form in comparison to what is common or typical for works or content of a particular category

short-form videos

And similar to the U.S., the Chinese film market has also been dented by the growth of short-form content and increasing popularity of watching entertainment on phones and tablets, keeping theatergoers at home.

—Samantha Masunaga

Gen Z wants short-form blogs and media posts of only a few paragraphs or graphic novels.

—Vernon Fueston

compare long-form

Examples of short-form in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

However, going from starring in movies, like Quentin Tarantino's The Hateful Eight and Django Unchained, and various TV shows, including his breakout role on Justified, to short-form storytelling required some help from one of his friends and former costars. —Stacy Lambe, PEOPLE, 30 Apr. 2026

The viral short-form series has drawn over 30 million views across YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram since launching in May 2024 and will debut exclusively on Netflix later this year. —Denise Petski, Deadline, 30 Apr. 2026

Yeah, so the distinction between short-form content as a category versus clips as a category. —Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 24 Apr. 2026

The modern world, particularly those youngest viewers, seeks short-form content, often through smart phones and tablets. —Ali Rampling, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2026

More than four billion global streams and over seven billion short-form views later, what began as viral social content evolved into a global phenomenon, redefining how music, storytelling, and audience engagement can intersect at scale. —Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 22 Apr. 2026

Audio Flux is a home for innovative, short-form audio and bold storytelling. —Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 21 Apr. 2026

As a counter, Netflix is preparing to roll out a TikTok-style vertical video feed inside its app this month, signaling a push into short-form discovery while doubling down on AI across its platform. —Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 17 Apr. 2026

In addition to the clips of Stake’s big, improbable wins, ones showing Kick influencers acting wacky sometimes go viral on short-form video apps or get reformatted for gambling compilations on YouTube, with Stake’s logo visible. —Cecilia D'anastasio, Bloomberg, 27 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1980, in the meaning defined above