Long Term Or Long-Term: How To Know Which One Is Correct

Both spellings are correct, but they are not interchangeable. You write long-term, with a hyphen, when the phrase sits before a noun and describes it, as in a long-term plan. You write long term, as two separate words, when the phrase stands on its own or follows a verb, as in the plan is long term. The difference comes down to grammar, not preference.

This small hyphen carries real weight in clear writing. It tells the reader whether two words are working together as one description or simply sitting side by side. Getting it right matters in resumes, financial documents, medical forms, and everyday emails alike. Once you understand the pattern, you will never have to guess again.

What Does Long Term Or Long-Term Mean?

At its core, the phrase refers to something that extends over a long period of time, usually months, years, or decades, rather than something short-lived or immediate.

• As a noun phrase, “the long term” means a distant or extended period in the future. Example: We are investing for the long term.
• As a compound adjective, “long-term” describes a noun by telling the reader that it lasts, applies, or is planned over an extended stretch of time.
  Example: a long-term investment strategy.

The meaning stays the same in both forms. What changes is the grammatical job the phrase is doing in the sentence.

See More: Inpatient Vs Impatient

Long Term Or Long-Term: The Core Grammar Rule

This is the single rule that explains almost every case you will run into.

Hyphenate it when it comes directly before a noun and describes that noun. In this position, “long” and “term” join together to act as one adjective.

Leave it open, as two words, when it comes after a verb, stands alone, or follows the noun it relates to. In this position, the phrase is not directly modifying a noun that follows it, so no hyphen is needed.

Position in the sentence	Correct form	Example
Before a noun	long-term	She has a long-term goal.
After a linking verb (is, are, was)	long term	Her goal is long-term.
As a standalone noun phrase	long term	We are planning for the long term.
Before a noun, describing it	long-term	The company needs long-term funding.

Think of the hyphen as a small sign that says “these two words are a team, and together we describe the word right after us.” Remove that word right after the pair, and the team breaks apart. The hyphen usually breaks apart too.

A Simple Test You Can Use

Ask yourself one question: is a noun coming right after this phrase, and is the phrase describing it?

• If yes, hyphenate: a long-term lease, a long-term client, long-term care.
• If no, leave it open: the lease is long term; they became partners for the long term.

This test works for almost every sentence you will write.

Long Term or Long-Term? AP Style Rules

Writers and students frequently ask about AP style specifically, since it is the standard used across most news writing and much of business communication in the United States.

AP style follows the same core grammar rule described above: hyphenate “long-term” when it functions as a compound adjective directly before a noun, such as long-term medical care. When the phrase follows the verb or stands on its own, AP style removes the hyphen, as in we will win in the long term.

This matches general English hyphenation logic for compound modifiers, so if you already understand the core rule, you already understand AP style on this point. The Associated Press applies the same pattern to closely related terms, including short-term and long-range.

Long Term or Long-Term in UK English

British English follows the same grammar principle as American English here. Hyphenate before a noun, and leave the words open when the phrase stands alone or follows a verb.

• Correct in the UK: a long-term tenancy agreement.
• Correct in the UK: the agreement is long-term.

Major British dictionaries and style guides treat this compound adjective the same way American references do. There is no meaningful regional difference in the hyphenation rule itself, though spelling of related surrounding words may vary between American and British English in other parts of a sentence.

Is It “In the Long Term” or “In the Long-Term”?

This specific phrase causes a lot of confusion, so it deserves its own section.

“In the long term” is correct. The phrase functions as a noun phrase here, meaning “at a distant point in the future” or “over an extended period.” Since no noun follows the phrase for it to describe, no hyphen is needed.

• Correct: In the long term, the treatment improves outcomes.
• Incorrect: In the long-term, the treatment improves outcomes.

A helpful way to remember this: “in the long term” behaves like “in the future” or “in the end.” You would not hyphenate those phrases, and you should not hyphenate this one either.

Common Mistakes With Long Term and Long-Term

Even experienced writers slip on this rule, usually in one of two directions.

⚠️ Mistake 1: Hyphenating after a verb.
❌ Incorrect: Their relationship is long-term.
✅ Correct: Their relationship is long term.

⚠️ Mistake 2: Leaving it open before a noun.
❌ Incorrect: She has long term goals.
✅ Correct: She has long-term goals.

⚠️ Mistake 3: Writing it as one word.
❌ Incorrect: They rent apartments longterm.
✅ Correct: They rent apartments long term.

“Longterm,” written as a single unbroken word, is not considered standard English by major dictionaries. You may see it in casual writing, marketing copy, or web addresses, but it is not the correct form for formal or professional writing.

See More: Emerse Or Immerse

Long-Term In Everyday Contexts

The phrase shows up constantly across finance, health, memory, relationships, and everyday planning. The hyphenation rule stays the same in every context: hyphenate before a noun, leave it open elsewhere. Below are some of the most common real-world uses.

Long-Term Care and Long-Term Care Insurance

Long-term care refers to a range of services that help people with ongoing daily needs, often due to age, illness, or disability, over an extended period rather than a short recovery window. This can include help at home, in an assisted living setting, or in a nursing facility.

Long-term care insurance is a policy designed to help cover the cost of these services. Because both terms sit directly before a noun (care, insurance), they are correctly hyphenated.

Long-Term Capital Gains Tax

This term refers to the tax rate applied to profit from selling an investment, such as stocks or property, that you held for longer than a set period, typically more than one year in the United States, before selling it. Since it sits before the noun “tax,” the hyphen belongs here: long-term capital gains tax.

If you were to say instead, “the gains are considered long term,” no hyphen is needed, since the phrase follows the verb “are.”

Long-Term Disability

Long-term disability describes a condition, or an insurance benefit tied to that condition, that is expected to last for an extended period, often many months or years, rather than resolving quickly. Long-term disability insurance is coverage designed to replace part of a person’s income during this extended period.

Long-Term Goals

A long-term goal is an objective a person plans to reach over an extended stretch of time, often years, as opposed to a short-term goal, which is something achievable in weeks or months. Career planning, financial planning, and personal development all commonly use this phrase.

Short-term goals often function as smaller steps that build toward a long-term goal. That relationship, smaller steps supporting a bigger future objective, is central to how most goal-setting frameworks are structured.

Long-Term Memory

In psychology, long-term memory refers to the stage of memory that stores information for extended periods, from days to a lifetime, as opposed to short-term memory, which holds information briefly, usually for seconds to minutes. Long-term memory is generally understood to have a much larger storage capacity than short-term memory.

Long-Term Relationship

A long-term relationship refers to a romantic or committed partnership that has continued, or is intended to continue, over an extended period rather than being brief or casual. When people write about managing long-term relationship expectations, they are describing the ongoing communication and planning that helps a lasting relationship stay healthy over time.

Long-Term Parking and Long-Term Rentals

Long-term parking refers to airport or facility parking designed for travelers leaving their vehicle for several days or longer, as opposed to short-term parking, which is meant for quick stays. Long-term rentals refer to housing or vehicle rentals arranged for extended stays, often a month or more, rather than a night or a weekend.

Long-Term vs Similar Words

Several related compound words follow similar or slightly different patterns. Knowing the difference helps you avoid mixing them up.

Word or phrase	Meaning	Hyphenation pattern
Long-term	Lasting over an extended period	Hyphenate before a noun only
Short-term	Lasting a brief period	Hyphenate before a noun only
Longtime	Having existed or continued for a long time (used only before a noun, as one word)	Always one word, no hyphen
Long-standing	Existing for a long time, often used for traditions or arrangements	Commonly hyphenated in both positions

Notice that “longtime” is different from “long-term.” Longtime describes duration of an existing relationship or status, as in longtime friend, while long-term more often describes plans, effects, or arrangements extending into the future, as in long-term friendship goals. The two overlap in meaning but are not always interchangeable, and their spelling rules differ, since longtime is written as a single word.

Pronunciation

Both forms are pronounced the same way, since the hyphen does not change pronunciation. Say it as two stressed syllables run together: “lawng turm.” There is no separate British or American pronunciation difference tied specifically to this phrase, though general regional accent differences in vowel sounds will naturally apply.

Origin

The word “long” comes from Old English lang, describing extended distance or duration, and has stayed remarkably stable in form and meaning for centuries. “Term” comes from Latin terminus, meaning a boundary or limit, which entered English through Old French to describe a defined period of time. 

Combined, “long term” describes a period whose defined boundary sits far in the future, and the compound adjective form developed later as English writers began pairing time-related words directly before nouns for efficiency and clarity.

See More: Labelled Or Labeled

Quick Reference: Long Term Or Long-Term At A Glance

• Before a noun: hyphenate. Example: long-term investment.
• After a verb like is, was, or are: leave it open. Example: the investment is long term.
• Standing alone as a noun phrase: leave it open. Example: plan for the long term.
• As one unbroken word, “longterm”: avoid in standard, formal, or professional writing.
• AP style, UK English, and general grammar guides all follow this same core pattern.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it long term or long-term?

Both are correct, depending on position. Use long-term before a noun, and long term after a verb or on its own.

Is long-term hyphenated in AP style?

Yes, before a noun. AP style removes the hyphen when the phrase follows a verb or stands alone, matching standard hyphenation rules for compound adjectives.

What is the difference between long term and long-term?

Long term is a noun phrase describing a period of time. Long-term is a compound adjective describing a noun that comes right after it.

Is “in the long term” hyphenated?

No. “In the long term” is correct without a hyphen, since no noun follows the phrase for it to describe.

Is longterm one word?

No. Standard dictionaries do not recognize “longterm” as one unbroken word. Use either long term or long-term, depending on the sentence.

Is long-term a noun or an adjective?

It is most commonly used as an adjective, describing nouns like plan, goal, or relationship. The open form, long term, functions as a noun phrase.

How do you use long-term in a sentence?

Place it directly before the noun it describes: We need a long-term solution. Avoid placing it after a linking verb without dropping the hyphen.

What is a long-term goal versus a short-term goal?

A long-term goal takes an extended period, often years, to achieve, while a short-term goal is achievable in a shorter window, often weeks or months, and frequently supports progress toward a longer-term goal.

Does UK English hyphenate long-term differently than US English?

No. Both follow the same core grammar rule: hyphenate before a noun, leave it open elsewhere.

Conclusion

Long term or long-term ultimately comes down to one grammar rule: hyphenate the phrase when it sits directly before a noun and describes it, and leave it as two separate words when it follows a verb or stands alone. This pattern holds true across AP style, UK English, and everyday American usage, and it applies consistently whether you are writing about long-term care, long-term goals, long-term memory, or a long-term relationship.

Once this rule feels natural, you will stop pausing over the hyphen entirely. Read the sentence, find the noun, and let its position guide your choice. That single habit will keep your writing clear, consistent, and correct every time you reach for this phrase.