Long-Term or Longterm: Which Is Correct?

The hyphenated form long-term is the standard spelling in English. The single-word version longterm is not accepted in modern usage — you won’t find it in major dictionaries, and most editors would flag it as an error.

That said, how you write long-term depends on where it appears in a sentence. The hyphen isn’t always required — and that’s where most of the real confusion lies.

The Basic Rule

Long-term is a compound adjective. When it comes before a noun and describes it, use the hyphen.

• a long-term goal
• a long-term relationship
• a long-term solution
• a long-term investment

When it appears after the noun — usually following a linking verb like is, are, or seems — the hyphen is often dropped.

• The plan is long term.
• These effects may be long term.
• The damage is long term.

This is standard English punctuation practice. Compound adjectives are hyphenated before a noun and left open after one.

Why the Hyphen Matters Before a Noun

The hyphen tells the reader that long and term work together as a single idea modifying the noun that follows.

Without the hyphen, the sentence can briefly confuse:

She made a long term investment.

Here, a reader’s eye might group long with nothing in particular — is the term long, or is the investment long-term? The hyphen removes that ambiguity:

She made a long-term investment.

This is a small difference, but it’s exactly what hyphens are for.

Examples in Context for Long-Term or Longterm

Before the noun (hyphen required):

• The company launched a long-term strategy for reducing costs.
• He signed a long-term lease on the apartment.
• Regular exercise has well-known long-term benefits.
• They need a long-term solution, not a quick fix.

After the noun (hyphen optional, often dropped):

• The damage to the reef may be long term.
• The agreement is meant to be long term.
• Doctors say the effects are likely long term.

In practice, many writers keep the hyphen in both positions for consistency, and that’s acceptable. Style guides vary slightly here. The Chicago Manual of Style generally drops the hyphen in predicative position (after the noun); others are more flexible. Either approach is defensible — inconsistency within a single document is the thing to avoid.

What About “Long Term” as a Noun?

When long term refers to a span of time as a noun phrase — not as an adjective — no hyphen is used.

• Think about the long term, not just tomorrow.
• Investors tend to focus on the long term.
• In the long term, habits matter more than motivation.

The phrase in the long term is a fixed noun construction and takes no hyphen. Compare this with:

• long-term thinking (adjective before noun → hyphen)
• thinking about the long term (noun phrase → no hyphen)

Quick Reference for Long-Term or Longterm

Use	Form	Example
Adjective before noun	long-term	a long-term plan
Adjective after linking verb	long term	the plan is long term
Noun phrase	long term	think about the long term
Single word (no hyphen ever)	longterm	not standard

Common Mistake

The most common error is writing longterm as one solid word. This doesn’t appear in standard dictionaries and looks like a typo to most readers. If you see it in your own writing, replace it with either long-term or long term depending on position.

A secondary mistake is over-hyphenating — adding the hyphen even when long term is used as a noun:

✗ Think about the long-term.
✓ Think about the long term.

The noun form doesn’t need one.

Practical Takeaway

Before a noun: always hyphenate — long-term.
After a linking verb: hyphen optional, often dropped — long term.
As a noun: no hyphen — long term.
As one word: never — longterm.

If you’re ever uncertain about position, the hyphenated form long-term is widely understood and accepted in nearly all contexts. When in doubt, hyphenate.

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