term
noun
tɜːm 
tɜːrm 
1 [countable] a word or phrase used as the name of something, especially one connected with a particular type of languagea technical/legal/scientific, etc. terma term of abuse‘Register’ is the term commonly used to describe different levels of formality in language.2 (North American English also trimester) [countable, uncountable] (especially in Britain) one of the three periods in the year during which classes are held in schools, universities, etcthe spring/summer/autumn/fall termMany students now have paid employment during term. (British English) It's nearly the end of term. (North American English) the end of the term see also semester, termly, term-time3 [countable] a period of time for which something lasts; a fixed or limited timeduring the president's first term of/in officeHe faces a maximum prison/jail term of 25 years.a long term of imprisonmentThe term of agreement can be for either two or three years.4 [singular] (formal) the end of a particular period of time, especially one for which an agreement, etc. laststhe term of the loanHis life had reached its natural term.This view of the economy is approaching its term (= it will soon be old-fashioned) (medical) The pregnancy went to full term (= lasted the normal length of time).5 [countable] (mathematics) each of the various parts in a series, an equation, etc.Idioms
in terms of
|in … terms
in terms of at termsin the long/short/medium term
used to describe what will happen a long, short, etc. time in the future
Such a development seems unlikely, at least in the short term (= it will not happen for quite a long time).In the longer term, children of depressed mothers are more likely to suffer from childhood depression.
Usage note: defineDefining termsIt is important to clarify what is meant by climate change.Climate change can/may be defined as ‘the long-term fluctuations in temperature, precipitation, wind and other aspects of the earth's climate’.A generally accepted definition of global warming is the gradual increase in the overall temperature of the earth's atmosphere due to the greenhouse effect.The greenhouse effect is defined by the author as the process by which heat from the sun is trapped in the earth's atmosphere, causing the temperature of the earth to rise.The author uses the term climate change to refer to any significant change in measures of climate lasting for an extended period.The term ‘carbon footprint’ refers to the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere as a result of the activities of an individual or organization.Scientists suggest that increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will result in an increase in global temperatures, and the term ‘global warming’ is used to describe this phenomenon. Language Bank at firstUsage note: wordterm phrase expression idiomThese are all words for a unit of language used to express something.word a single unit of language which means something and can be spoken or written: Do not write more than 200 words. ◇ He uses a lot of long words.term (rather formal) a word or phrase used as the name of something, especially one connected with a particular type of language: technical/legal/scientific terms ◇ ‘Old man’ is a slang term for ‘father’.phrase a group of words which have a particular meaning when used together: Who coined the phrase ‘desktop publishing’? In grammar, a phrase is a group of words without a finite verb, especially one that forms part of a sentence: ‘the green car’ and ‘on Friday morning’ are phrases.expression a word or phrase: He tends to use a lot of slang expressions that I've never heard before.idiom a group of words whose meaning is different from the meanings of the individual words: ‘Let the cat out of the bag’ is an idiom meaning to tell a secret by mistake.a word/term for somethinga new word/term/phrase/expressiona technical/colloquial word/term/phrase/expressiona slang word/term/phrasean idiomatic phrase/expressionto use a(n) word/term/phrase/expression/idiomto coin a(n) word/term/phrase/expressiona(n) word/term/phrase/expression/idiom means something