interim

[in-ter-uhm]

noun

1. an intervening time; interval; meantime.

   School doesn't start till September, but he's taking a Spanish class in the interim.

2. a temporary or provisional arrangement; stopgap; makeshift.

   As an interim, her summer job was pretty good.

3. Church History.,  Interim, any of three provisional arrangements for the settlement of religious differences between German Protestants and Roman Catholics during the Reformation.

adjective

1. for, during, belonging to, or connected with an intervening period of time; temporary; provisional.

   This is just an interim arrangement till office renovations are finished.

   She is the organization’s interim director while the board reviews applications for the role.

adverb

1. meanwhile.

interim

¹

/ ˈɪntərɪm /

adjective

1. (prenominal) temporary, provisional, or intervening

   interim measures to deal with the emergency

noun

1. the intervening time; the meantime (esp in the phrase in the interim )

adverb

1. rare,  meantime

Interim

²

/ ˈɪntərɪm /

noun

1. any of three provisional arrangements made during the Reformation by the German emperor and Diet to regulate religious differences between Roman Catholics and Protestants

Word History and Origins

Origin of interim¹

First recorded in 1540–50; from Latin: “in the meantime,” from inter “between” + -im, adverb suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of interim¹

C16: from Latin: meanwhile

Idioms and Phrases

see in the interim.

Example Sentences

Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell took on most of Mr Welby's responsibilities in an interim move, and was one of the voting members of the body charged with choosing his successor.

From BBC

Over the entire interim housing system, however, occupancy rates were essentially unchanged between August and September.

From Los Angeles Times

But Prof Geoffrey Maitland, professor of Energy Engineering at Imperial College London, has said fracking could provide interim relief.

From BBC

Last month, the council approved his motion for city staff to draft an interim ordinance that would prohibit the issuing of permits for RV parks built as public benefit projects.

From Los Angeles Times

Southers, 68, has been an interim member of the panel since 2023, when Bass picked him to serve out the term of a departing commissioner.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• provisional