You are updating your resume and stop on one line: “Seeking a long term role.” Wait, does that need a hyphen? Or is it one word? Long term or longterm is the kind of tiny question that makes confident writers hesitate, and a wrong guess can look careless in a cover letter or report. Relax.
The rule takes about thirty seconds to learn, and once you see how it works, you will stop second-guessing it for good.
Which Spelling Is Correct?
Standard dictionaries list long-term as an adjective and long term as a noun phrase. They do not list “longterm” as an accepted spelling. That holds in American and British English.
So you have two correct forms and one incorrect form:
- long-term (hyphenated): correct as an adjective
- long term (two words): correct as a noun
- longterm (one word): not standard
The choice between the first two depends on how the phrase works in your sentence. That is the whole trick.
The Core Rule: Noun vs Adjective
Long term as a noun means a stretch of time far into the future. It usually appears after “the” or “in.”
- “Prices may rise in the long term.”
- “Think about the long term before you sign.”
Long-term as an adjective describes another word. When it sits directly before a noun, it becomes a compound modifier, and the hyphen ties the two words together so the reader sees them as one idea.
- “She made a long-term plan.”
- “They want a long-term partner for the project.”
A quick way to think about it: if the phrase is naming a period of time, keep two words. If it is describing something else, add the hyphen.
Why Longterm Looks Right but Is Not
Writers often drop the space because the internet moves fast. Hashtags, product names, usernames, and quick messages squash words together all the time, so “longterm” starts to look normal.
There is also a natural pull from other compound words. English often starts with two words, adds a hyphen, and later closes into one word over many years (think “email,” which was once “e-mail”). So it feels like “long-term” might be heading in the same direction.
That is possible someday, but it has not happened. Right now, formal writing, style guides, and dictionaries all use the hyphen. Writing “longterm” in an article, school paper, or business email will usually read as a typo.
One exception: you may see “Longterm” as a brand name, a username, or a hashtag. Those follow their own rules and do not change standard spelling.
What Happens When It Comes After the Verb?
When the phrase comes after a form of “to be,” some writers drop the hyphen. Others keep it. Both approaches appear in published writing.
- “The effects are long term.” (open form after the verb)
- “The effects are long-term.” (hyphenated)
Many dictionaries and style guides prefer to keep the hyphen in the adjective role, even after the verb. The safest approach is simple: use the hyphen whenever long-term acts as an adjective, and stay consistent through the whole document.
If your teacher, editor, or company has a style guide, follow it. AP style, for example, treats it as a hyphenated adjective before a noun. When no guide applies, the hyphen is the safer choice.
Long-Term in Real Sentences
Examples show the pattern better than rules do. Here are samples from different settings.
Work and business
- “We need a long-term strategy, not a quick fix.”
- “The company is focused on long-term growth.”
- “I’m looking for a long-term position with room to grow.”
Money
- “A long-term investment can ride out short dips.”
- “Over the long term, small savings add up.”
Health
- “Long-term care may be needed after surgery.”
- “Doctors are studying the long-term effects of the treatment.”
School
- “Cramming rarely builds long-term memory.”
- “Her long-term goal is to become a teacher.”
Relationships and daily life
- “They have been in a long-term relationship for six years.”
- “In the long term, a cheaper car may cost you more.”
Notice that the noun form (“over the long term,” “in the long term”) always follows a word like the. The adjective form always sits right before the thing it describes.
A Simple Test to Pick the Right Form
You do not need to memorize grammar terms. Use these three quick checks.
- Look at the next word. If a noun follows (“plan,” “goal,” “care,” “effect”), use long-term.
- Look at the word before. If you see “the,” “in the,” or “over the,” use long term as a noun.
- Try swapping. Replace the phrase with “lasting.” If it fits (“a lasting plan”), use the hyphen. If you can swap in “the long run,” use two words.
If none of these apply, read the sentence aloud. The hyphen should help the reader see one idea instead of two separate words.
Long Term vs Long-Term vs Longterm at a Glance
| Form | Part of speech | Correct? | Example |
| long term | Noun phrase | Yes | “Plan for the long term.” |
| long-term | Adjective | Yes | “A long-term contract.” |
| longterm | None (nonstandard) | No | Avoid in formal writing |
Keep this table handy if you write often. It covers nearly every case you will meet.
Related Phrases and Opposites
Opposite: short-term follows the same rule. Hyphenate it before a noun (“a short-term loan”). Use two words as a noun (“in the short term”).
Similar ideas you can use for variety:
- in the long run
- over time
- lasting
- extended
- enduring
- far-reaching
Variety keeps your writing fresh. If “long-term” appears five times in one paragraph, swap a few for “lasting” or “over time.”
Common hyphenated pairs you will see with it: long-term care, long-term memory, long-term goals, long-term effects, long-term plan, long-term relationship, and long-term investment. Each one is an adjective plus noun, so each one takes the hyphen.
Is It Different in the UK?
No. Both American and British dictionaries use long-term as the standard adjective. The same logic applies: hyphen before a noun, two words as a noun phrase.
Small differences between British and American English show up in other areas, like punctuation habits or style guides used by publishers. But for this phrase, there is no regional split, so you can use the same rule on both sides of the Atlantic.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
These errors show up again and again.
- Writing “longterm” as one word. This is the biggest one. Use the hyphen.
- Leaving out the hyphen before a noun. “A long term plan” reads as less polished than “a long-term plan.”
- Adding a hyphen to the noun form. “In the long-term” is less standard than “in the long term.” Keep two words when it names a period of time.
- Mixing styles in one document. If you write “long-term” on page one and “long term” before a noun on page three, readers notice.
- Overusing it. The phrase is handy, but it can turn vague. Say what you mean: “over five years” is often clearer than “long-term.”
A small final tip: run a quick search in your document for “longterm” before you hit send. It takes seconds and catches the most common slip.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is longterm one word or hyphenated?
Neither “longterm” nor a plain one-word form is standard. The correct form is hyphenated (“long-term”) when it works as an adjective before a noun. Standard dictionaries do not accept “longterm” as a spelling.
Is “long term” or “longterm” correct in the UK?
Neither plain version is fully right on its own, and the rule matches the US. British English uses long-term as an adjective and long term as a noun phrase. “Longterm” is not standard in the UK either.
Is long term all one word?
No. It is either two words (“in the long term”) or a hyphenated compound (“a long-term goal”). It does not become one solid word in standard writing.
What does “long term” mean?
It refers to a period of time that stretches far into the future, or something that lasts or applies over an extended time. For example, “long-term goals” are goals meant to be reached over months or years, not days.
Conclusion
The long term or longterm question has a clean answer. Skip “longterm.” Use long-term with a hyphen when it describes a noun, and use long term as two words when it names a stretch of time. Check the word that comes next, look for “the” before it, and stay consistent. Once you apply those habits, this small detail stops being a problem and starts being one less thing to worry about.