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
But the bounce in oil prices due to the war has made up for that uncertainty in the short term.
—
Tristan Bove, Fortune, 28 Apr. 2026
Certainly, in the short term, its announcement doesn’t really matter.
—Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 28 Apr. 2026
That can help in the short term, but the taxes don’t go away.
—Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Apr. 2026
Those are good actions that can help in the short term, create supplies where supplies are needed.
—CBS News, 26 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the short term
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Tristan Bove, Fortune, 28 Apr. 2026
Certainly, in the short term, its announcement doesn’t really matter.
—Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 28 Apr. 2026
That can help in the short term, but the taxes don’t go away.
—Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Apr. 2026
Those are good actions that can help in the short term, create supplies where supplies are needed.
—CBS News, 26 Apr. 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 3 May. 2026.
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