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. Interim, Church History. 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 def.

Interim

¹

/ 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

interim

²

/ ˈɪntərɪm /

adjective

1. prenominal temporary, provisional, or intervening

   interim measures to deal with the emergency

noun

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

adverb

1. rare.
   meantime

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

In October, she won city council approval of an interim control ordinance that would temporarily prohibit development of any warehouse larger than 15,000 square feet in the area.

From Los Angeles Times

Last month, Chipotle interim CEO Scott Boatwright said the company has since been serving “consistent and generous portions.”

From Salon

His lawyer has sought interim bail and also asked the court to throw out the case.

From BBC

Ramirez wrote that she had been appointed interim general manager by Mayor Karen Bass.

From Los Angeles Times

In the meantime it will set up a a new interim executive committee, led by the firm's chairperson John Elkann.

From BBC

Related Words

• provisional