temporarily
Americanadverb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of temporarily
Explanation
Temporarily describes something that happens for a limited amount of time. If you agree to watch your friend's dog temporarily, you'll be surprised if it turns out that your friend will be in France for at least two years. Temporarily is the adverbial form of "temporary," which comes from the Latin word tempus, meaning time. Something done temporarily is supposed to be concluded in a finite amount of time. If your car is temporarily out of commission, you expect that you will be able to fix it and get it back on the road. If you drop the word temporarily from that sentence, your car may be a goner.
Vocabulary lists containing temporarily
Word Generation Weekly - Series 1
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temp
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The Mayor of Casterbridge
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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.
This is where police and organisers use motorbikes and cars to ensure the road is clear at certain junctions and temporarily enforce a closure in theory until all competitors have passed through.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
The appeals court temporarily paused its ruling, giving the administration time to seek relief from the high court.
From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2026
This is due to heavy rains in Chile that temporarily halted mining.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
Rocha Moya has denied the charges but stepped down temporarily from the governor’s post.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
“It was temporarily adjourned,” said Justin, “to wait for you. In fact, I came to find you.”
From "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH" by Robert C. O'Brien
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
