adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of momentary
1425–75; late Middle English momentare < Latin mōmentārius. See moment, -ary
Explanation
Something that lasts for a very short time is momentary. A flash of lightning is momentary, since it blazes across the sky for only a second or two. Use the adjective momentary when you want to describe something brief or fleeting, like a momentary pause in a speech or a momentary flash of insight that pops into your head and disappears. If it lasts just a moment, it's momentary. The root word is the Latin momentarius, "of brief duration," which in turn comes from momentum, "short time, or instant."
Vocabulary lists containing momentary
Brief
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Chronically Dolores
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The Ink Witch
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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.
This momentary cleanse won’t save them, but it will keep them going.
From Salon ● Oct. 5, 2026
About 700 miles away around the same time, a momentary greeting between New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at ground zero became a dayslong online uproar.
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
The Senate’s six-year terms are another check on momentary House majorities elected every two years.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
“This was not impulsive conduct or a momentary lapse in judgment,” prosecutors said in a sentencing memo.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
On meeting my eye, he said plainly, by a momentary and silent pause in that attitude, “Indeed? Singular!” and then put the handkerchief to its right use with wonderful effect.
From "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
