impermanent

American  

[im-pur-muh-nuhnt] / ɪmˈpɜr mə nənt /

adjective

1. not permanent or enduring; transitory.

   Synonyms:

   evanescent, ephemeral, temporary, fleeting

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impermanent British  

/ ɪmˈpɜːmənənt /

adjective

1. not permanent; fleeting; transitory

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Other Word Forms

• impermanence noun
• impermanency noun
• impermanently adverb

Etymology

Origin of impermanent

First recorded in 1645–55; im- ² + permanent

Example Sentences

He’s rough-hewn, simple, hardworking, not immune to the impermanent nature of the world but brought up short when that world goes awry; Mr. Edgerton has to give emotional depth to a laconic character.

From The Wall Street Journal

This existence is impermanent; why spend it as a broken record?

From Salon

Second, once achieved, manhood status is tenuous and impermanent; that is, it can be lost or taken away.

From Salon

As a result, it allows us to view death as impermanent.

From Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles, like its residents, is impermanent, always shape-shifting, always on the verge of becoming something else.

From Los Angeles Times