transitory
Americanadjective
-
not lasting, enduring, permanent, or eternal.
-
lasting only a short time; brief; short-lived; temporary.
- Antonyms:
- permanent
adjective
Synonym Usage
See temporary.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of transitory
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English transitorie, from Late Latin trānsitōrius “fleeting” ( see transit, -tory 1); replacing Middle English transitoire, from Middle French, from Late Latin, as above
Explanation
If something is fleeting or lasts a short time, it is transitory. Your boss declared the company's restructuring to be transitory, and promised that the company would emerge stronger and better than ever. The adjective transitory describes something that is fleeting, temporary, or brief. Even a transitory storm that passes quickly can get you drenched. Consider it an honor to be on the transitory team that helps the president make a smooth transfer of power. When you met your first love, your parents thought that the relationship was transitory — but fifty years later, you're still married!
Vocabulary lists containing transitory
Tier 2 Words for the SBAC ELA Items
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The Great Gatsby
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Power Prefix: trans-
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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.
The good ship Transitory was a crowded one, with most mainstream analysts and advanced-economy central bankers on board.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 27, 2024
As Fed Chair Jerome H. Powell recollected in a speech last month, “the good ship Transitory was a crowded one, with most mainstream analysts and advanced-economy central bankers on board.”
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 27, 2024
"Transitory" has been the U.S. central bank's - and most notably Fed Chair Jerome Powell's - preferred adjective for describing the nature of this year's run of high inflation.
From Reuters • Nov. 30, 2021
But for now at least, they seem to be in agreement with the analysis from Team Transitory.
From Salon • Nov. 14, 2021
One must remember his noble saying, "Earnestness alone makes life Eternity" and that other "saying" about Art having, as its main purpose, the turning of the "Transitory" into the "Permanent"!
From Visions and Revisions A Book of Literary Devotions by Powys, John Cowper
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.
