temporary

American

[tem-puh-rer-ee] / ˈtɛm pəˌrɛr i /

adjective

lasting, existing, serving, or effective for a time only; not permanent.

a temporary need;
a temporary job.

Synonyms:

passing , impermanent

Antonyms:

permanent

noun

PLURAL

temporaries

temp.

temporary British

/ ˈtɛmprərɪ, ˈtɛmpərərɪ /

adjective

not permanent; provisional

temporary accommodation
lasting only a short time; transitory

temporary relief from pain

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

Often shortened to: temp. a person, esp a secretary or other office worker, employed on a temporary basis

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Related Words

Temporary, transient, transitory agree in referring to that which is not lasting or permanent. Temporary implies an arrangement established with no thought of continuance but with the idea of being changed soon: a temporary structure. Transient describes that which is in the process of passing by, and which will therefore last or stay only a short time: a transient condition. Transitory describes an innate characteristic by which a thing, by its very nature, lasts only a short time: Life is transitory.

Other Word Forms

nontemporariness noun
nontemporary adjective
temporarily adverb
temporariness noun
untemporary adjective

Etymology

Origin of temporary

First recorded in 1540–50; from Latin temporārius, equivalent to tempor- (stem of tempus ) “time” + -ārius -ary

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

After that, the judges within that federal district vote to name a temporary U.S. attorney until someone can be confirmed to the post.

From The Wall Street Journal

They came from their long-term temporary place in Highland Park to see Kim Theory perform.

From Los Angeles Times

He said the temporary pool would cost £26,000 and would be on site for 12 weeks.

From BBC

Hong Kong's Buildings Department has ordered temporary suspension of works on 30 private building projects across the city.

From Barron's

The gifts are distributed by local councils, usually to children in care or those in temporary accommodation.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023