short-termism: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Formal, Academic, Business, Journalistic
Quick answer
What does “short-termism” mean?
A policy, practice, or mindset that prioritizes immediate or short-term gains and results over long-term strategies, planning, or sustainability.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A policy, practice, or mindset that prioritizes immediate or short-term gains and results over long-term strategies, planning, or sustainability.
In business and finance, it is the focus on quarterly profits at the expense of long-term investment. In politics and social policy, it is the drive for quick wins that ignores future consequences. More broadly, it refers to any systemic bias toward immediate gratification.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or spelling. The term originated and is widely used in both varieties, particularly in economic and political discourse.
Connotations
Universally negative, implying recklessness, myopia, and unsustainable practice.
Frequency
Slightly more frequent in British English, but a well-established and common term in American English, especially in business journalism.
Grammar
How to Use “short-termism” in a Sentence
[Be verb] guilty of short-termismAccuse [entity] of short-termism[Entity] suffers from short-termismA classic case of short-termismVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “short-termism” in a Sentence
adjective
British English
- The board's short-termist outlook is harming the company's prospects.
- We need to move away from short-termist policies.
American English
- Investors are pushing back against short-termist management.
- The report condemns the short-termist approach to infrastructure.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Criticism of executives who cut R&D spending to meet quarterly earnings targets.
Academic
A subject of study in behavioral economics, corporate governance, and sustainability science.
Everyday
Complaining about a government that fixes potholes but doesn't invest in new road infrastructure.
Technical
A key risk factor in ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) investing analyses.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “short-termism”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “short-termism”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “short-termism”
- Using it as an adjective (e.g., 'a short-termism strategy') – the correct adjectival form is 'short-termist' (e.g., 'short-termist thinking').
- Misspelling as 'short termism' (without the hyphen) is increasingly common but the hyphenated form is still standard in formal writing.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
In contemporary usage, it is almost exclusively a criticism. It implies a fault in strategy or thinking. In very rare contexts, it might neutrally describe a focus on the short term, but the negative connotation is dominant.
'Short-term' is a neutral adjective describing a limited time frame (e.g., short-term plan). 'Short-termism' is a noun with a negative charge, describing a doctrine or ingrained practice of prioritizing that short term to a detrimental degree.
No. A person can be 'short-termist' (adjective) or can 'be guilty of short-termism'. The '-ism' suffix denotes the practice or ideology itself, not a personal characteristic directly.
The most direct antonym is 'long-termism'. Other conceptual opposites include 'farsightedness', 'strategic planning', and 'sustainability'.
A policy, practice, or mindset that prioritizes immediate or short-term gains and results over long-term strategies, planning, or sustainability.
Short-termism is usually formal, academic, business, journalistic in register.
Short-termism: in British English it is pronounced /ˌʃɔːt ˈtɜː.mɪ.zəm/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌʃɔːrt ˈtɝː.mɪ.zəm/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[To be] penny wise and pound foolish (conceptually related)”
- “Kick the can down the road (related consequence)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a 'short-term list' – someone who only plans for what's on a short list for the near future, ignoring the long, important list for years ahead.
Conceptual Metaphor
THINKING IS SEEING; short-termism is conceptualized as MYOPIA or SHORT-SIGHTEDNESS, an inability to see the distant future clearly.
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is the best definition of 'short-termism'?