temporary

American  

[tem-puh-rer-ee] / ˈtɛm pəˌrɛr i /

adjective

1. 

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

   a temporary need;

   a temporary job.

   Synonyms:

   passing, impermanent

   Antonyms:

   permanent

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noun

• temporaries
  plural

1. temp.

temporary British  

/ ˈtɛmprərɪ, ˈtɛmpərərɪ /

adjective

1. not permanent; provisional

   temporary accommodation

2. lasting only a short time; transitory

   temporary relief from pain

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noun

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

Synonym Usage

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

Derived Forms

• nontemporariness
  noun
• temporariness
  noun
• nontemporary
  adjective
• untemporary
  adjective
• temporarily
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• temporaries
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of temporary

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

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Explanation

Use the adjective temporary to describe something that is not permanent. "Oh my goodness! That's a tattoo," your mother might shriek. You might tell her not to worry, since it's only temporary, and will wear off in a few days. The adjective temporary is used to describe something that isn't permanent or lasts only a short time. Its roots are in the Latin word tempus, meaning "time or season." An employee who isn't a permanent addition to the staff is temporary and in this use, the word is often shortened to temp. The lull in the wind and rain is only temporary, because you know you are in the eye of the storm.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

temporary temporaries

We’re likely to do some of each, but on the mitigation end of things, sea walls, rock revetments and armored cliffs are temporary fixes.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026

For example, when a doctor wants you to stop taking a medication, they’ll often instruct you to “hold” it, as a synonym for a temporary pause or delay—like asking someone to hold the elevator.

From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2026

Planning documents for an outline planning application detail a "temporary ancillary energy centre" with gas turbines that have a maximum generating capacity of 49.9MW.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

“Policy intervention can provide temporary relief, but there is no silver bullet for diesel,” analysts at Bank of America said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

Elected in early 1789, George Washington left Mount Vernon once more for New York City, the temporary capital of the United States, where he took the oath of office on April 30, 1789.

From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis

Ford raised its offer to $21 per hour with profit sharing and said it would make temporaries full-time workers after 90 days of continuous service.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 5, 2023

Presumably, some of the best candidates are employed--and aren't looking.We call that the Accolo Theory of Relativity: We're all temporaries; it's just a matter of degrees.

From Inc ● Mar. 25, 2013

Workers have also complained that they were paid as temporaries for longer than the law allowed, and not given automatic raises after one year, as required.

From Time Magazine Archive

All temporaries would be ineligible for welfare or unemployment benefits, but they could send their children to public schools.

From Time Magazine Archive

Nevertheless, it did not, like most temporaries, attain its maximum brightness all at once.

From A Popular History of Astronomy During the Nineteenth Century Fourth Edition by Agnes M. (Agnes Mary) Clerke

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Related Words

• brief
• interim
• limited
• makeshift
• momentary
• provisional
• short-lived
• transitory

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