shortlist

shortlist — noun

1. a small group of people or things chosen from a larger set, from whom the best c

1.nounB2
Definition

a small group of people or things chosen from a larger set, from whom the best candidate for a job, award, or position will finally be picked

Example

The committee drew up a shortlist of five architects for the new library project.

collocation: draw up a shortlist

Anjali's debut novel made the shortlist for the National Book Award.

collocation: make the shortlist

Common collocations
  • draw up a shortlist
  • make the shortlist
  • on the shortlist
  • shortlist for
  • shortlist of
  • reduce to a shortlist
Synonyms
  • final list

    less formal and less fixed as a compound noun; used conversationally

  • narrowed-down list

    describes the process rather than the result; more informal

Antonyms
  • longlist

    the initial larger list from which the shortlist is created

Usage Note

Commonly follows prepositions 'for' (the position/award) and 'of' (the candidates): 'a shortlist of six people for the manager role.'

Common Mistakes

She was put on shortlist for the job.
She was put on the shortlist for the job.
the noun requires the definite article 'the'.

shortlist — verb

Word family

  • shortlisted
    adjectiveB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

A 'shortlist' is the list itself — the group of people or items chosen as the strongest contenders after an initial screening. 'Finalists' are the people on such a list, usually in competitions or awards ('the five finalists for the prize'). 'Candidates' is a broader term for anyone being considered for a position, including those who have not yet been shortlisted ('there were fifty candidates for the job'). 'Nominees' are people who have been formally proposed or named for an award or position, typically by an official body ('the Oscar nominees were announced this morning'). A nominee is not necessarily a finalist, and a shortlisted candidate may not have been formally nominated by anyone other than the selection panel. For everyday job contexts, 'shortlist' and 'candidate' are the most common terms.

shortlist ↗finalistscandidatesnominees

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • draw up a shortlist
  • make the shortlist
  • on the shortlist
  • reduce to a shortlist

Prepositions

Etymology

English

'Shortlist' is a compound of 'short' (meaning 'not long') and 'list' (a series of items). The term emerged in mid-20th-century British English, originally in employment and recruitment contexts, where a long list of applicants was narrowed down to a shorter list of the strongest candidates before the final decision.