adjective
B2
Upper-Intermediate
long-term
long-TURM
Long-term (adjective) means Lasting, continuing or taking effect over a long period of time. Example: “The council has no long-term plan for the site.”
adjective
1
Lasting, continuing or taking effect over a long period of time.
"The council has no long-term plan for the site."
"Smoking causes long-term damage to the lungs."
noun
1
A distant point in the future, considered as the period over which something will finally have effect; used in the phrase "the long term".
"Cutting maintenance saves nothing in the long term."
"In the long term, the two firms plan to merge."
How to use long-term
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSomething that lasts a long time or that matters far into the future.
When to use it
Neutral; standard in business, medicine and policy writing.
Memory tip
"Longstanding" describes something that has already lasted a long time; "long-term" usually looks forward.
Easily confused with
short-term
long run
longstanding
Common pairings
long-term effects
long-term care
long-term relationship
long-term investment
in the long term
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The council has no _____ plan for the site.
Synonyms
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Frequently asked questions
Is long-term hyphenated?
Hyphenate it when it comes directly before a noun: "a long-term contract". Leave the hyphen out when it follows the verb or forms a noun phrase: "the effects are long term", "in the long term".
How long is long-term?
There is no fixed threshold; it depends entirely on the field. In finance, long-term usually means more than a year; in health care, it can mean months of ongoing treatment; in climate science, it can mean decades.
What is the difference between long-term and long-run?
They overlap heavily in everyday use. "Long run" is more common in the fixed phrase "in the long run", which suggests eventual outcome, while "long-term" is the standard modifier before nouns, as in "long-term care".
What is the meaning of long-term?
"long-term" (adjective) means lasting, continuing or taking effect over a long period of time.
