makeshift

[meyk-shift]

noun

1. a temporary expedient or substitute.

   We used boxes as a makeshift while the kitchen chairs were being painted.

   Synonyms: jury-rig, contrivance, make-do

adjective

1. Also makeshifty. serving as, or of the nature of, a makeshift.

   Synonyms: ersatz, jury, improvised, temporary, emergency

makeshift

/ ˈmeɪkˌʃɪft /

adjective

1. serving as a temporary or expedient means, esp during an emergency

noun

1. something serving in this capacity

Word History and Origins

Origin of makeshift¹

First recorded in 1555–65; noun, adj. use of verb phrase make shift

Example Sentences

Within the makeshift club — a dressing room, a bar, some dance cages that will figure later — tensions flare and Dre has her hands full.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

A makeshift command center projects maps and updates from social media and news reports onto the walls.

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Atlas workers dismantled a makeshift wall of shipping containers between the scrap yard and school, which was intended to prevent sharp metal shards and other debris from flying onto the school yard.

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We dug into the potluck, enjoying member Michael Swain’s makeshift band playing classic rock.

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The BBC understands that several members of Hamas's armed wing, including a commander, were killed in a strike on a makeshift café in central Gaza.

Read more on BBC