temp
noun
an office worker hired, usually through an agency on a per diem basis, for a short period of time; a temporary worker.
temp
1 American
[temp]
/ tɛmp /
noun
-
temps
plural
verb (used without object)
-
temps,
present (3rd person singular)
-
temped,
past participle, past
-
temping
present participle
temp.
2
American
abbreviation
-
temperature.
-
temporary.
-
in the time of.
temp.
1
British
abbreviation
-
temperate
-
temperature
-
temporary
-
tempore
temp
2
British
/ tɛmp /
noun
verb
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
tempsimple
-
tempssimple
-
have tempedperfect
-
has tempedperfect
-
am tempingprogressive
-
are tempingprogressive
-
is tempingprogressive
-
have been tempingperfect progressive
-
has been tempingperfect progressive
Past
-
tempedsimple
-
had tempedperfect
-
was tempingprogressive
-
were tempingprogressive
-
had been tempingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of temp1
First recorded in 1930–35; by shortening
Origin of temp.2
From the Latin word tempore
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.
See Examples For:
She studied literature at university and joined Google in 2006 as an entry-level temp with no computer science degree.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
A pivotal reveal at the end of Episode 3 was edited using the UK version of “The Apprentice” theme song as temp music during postproduction.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026
“They will continue to monitor my temp or my symptoms.”
From Salon ● May 27, 2026
"Whether that's putting in some sort of temporary structure or putting a temp track across the field alongside the landslide."
From BBC ● Mar. 3, 2026
She found temp work at legal agencies, keeping alive that distant dream of going to law school.
From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel
Don't overshoot the mark on the crust and accidentally let the interior temp. get away from you.
From Salon ● Feb. 21, 2025
Simply toss them with a bit of oil, some salt and whatever seasonings you like and/or have on hand, and roast at a medium-high temp. until they're browned and fragrant.
From Salon ● Nov. 19, 2022
A sign at the trailhead announced: “12 mile round trip temp. exceeds 100 F min. 1 gallon water per person/day no shade no water.”
From Washington Post ● Apr. 30, 2015
The shield with the "sight" is very curious; it weighs thirty pounds, and is of the temp. of Henry VIII.
From Notes and Queries, Number 42, August 17, 1850 by Various
We can scarcely hope to get a better surface at this season, but I wish we could have some help from the wind, though it might shake us up badly if the temp. didn't rise.'
From The Voyages of Captain Scott : Retold from the Voyage of the Discovery and Scott's Last Expedition by Charles Turley
“Laissez les bons temps rouler” is as relevant to younger investors as Warren Buffett’s advice to be fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful has been to older generations.
From Barron's ● Apr. 15, 2026
For Foster, it’s an assurance against opening day and temps in October and November that might be too warm for both natural snow and snowmaking.
From Slate ● Apr. 11, 2026
If companies hired fewer temps than they usually do, the seasonal adjustments applied by the BLS could make the employment picture look a lot worse in November than it really is.
From MarketWatch ● Dec. 15, 2025
Roles were automated away, or increasingly, replaced by temps and consultants.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2025
“Says the girl sitting outside in subglacial temps while the vampires are out looking for a snack with sprinkles.”
From "Odd One Out" by Nic Stone
One reason the stock market has performed so much better in recent years is that investors weren’t being temped by yields in the bond market, which have been lousy.
From MarketWatch ● May 22, 2026
Schneider had temped all of these great songs into the picture, but hadn’t licensed any of them.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2019
DiGregorio took the bag and headed for FultonFishMarket.com’s receiving station, where the fish would be scanned, weighed, temped, assigned a bar code, and Cryovac-sealed.
From The New Yorker ● Aug. 1, 2019
Ron: I temped for a bunch of years, that was my thing, that was my day job before doing “Office Space.”
From Salon ● Mar. 11, 2019
She asked that I remind her to bring along a young blonde who temped at the office to be in the throng the next day.
From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee
I went to his office where he was temping and practiced walking and reading lines, and he said, “See, you can do it.”
From Washington Post ● Apr. 14, 2022
I was temping, barely surviving — I’d spend hours on one drip.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2020
The Senate Judiciary Committee approved the bill Tuesday after agreeing to changes including prohibiting the sale of chilled beer or wine that might be more temping to drink on the way home.
From Washington Times ● Jan. 28, 2020
So, Felix, temping as it may be — resist the urge to sulk.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 11, 2019
She’s spent the past summer temping, working for two months in the business office of an expensive midtown hotel.
From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri
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