Meaning & use
shortlist
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Meanings
nouncountable
A list of selected candidates or items from which a final choice will be made.
Grammar: Often used with 'on': 'on the shortlist'.
Patterns
- on the shortlist
- make the shortlist
- draw up a shortlist
The committee drew up a shortlist of five applicants.
Her novel made the shortlist for the literary prize.
Only three candidates are on the shortlist for the job.
verbtransitive
To put someone or something on a shortlist of possible choices.
Grammar: Often passive: 'be shortlisted for something'.
Patterns
- shortlist someone for something
- be shortlisted for something
The panel shortlisted three designers for the project.
He was shortlisted for the position after a strong interview.
Word forms
| third person singular | shortlists |
|---|---|
| past tense | shortlisted |
| past participle | shortlisted |
| -ing form | shortlisting |
| plural | shortlists |
Common combinations
- make the shortlist
- She was delighted to make the shortlist for the scholarship.
- on the shortlist
- There are four restaurants on our shortlist for the party.
- be shortlisted for
- The film was shortlisted for several major awards.
Synonyms and how they differ
- finalist list
- A descriptive phrase, not a single word; it means the same but is less common.
- candidate list
- Broader; it may include all applicants, not just the final few.
Word family
- shortlisting noun
- The process or result of selecting a shortlist.
Commonly confused: shortlist or longlist?
shortlist vs longlist
A longlist is a longer initial list of candidates, which is later reduced to a shortlist.
Practice
After the first round of interviews, they ______ a shortlist of four candidates.
Choose one answer.
'Drew up' means prepared or created a list. 'Drew on' means used something, 'drew in' means involved, and 'drew out' means extracted.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “shortlist”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.