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.
It was designed to protect against an unchecked popular assembly voting all power into its own hands, as well as to guard against the errors of momentary fads and fashions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
He looks at me in momentary panic, freezing on the spot, closing his eyes and placing both hands on his ears.
From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026
The high volatility during Tuesday’s trading session could wind up being a momentary blip as the hardware-infrastructure buildup to support generative artificial intelligence continues.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 23, 2026
A frothy white water splash suggests the presence — and momentary absence — of the swimmer now submerged in cool water.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 12, 2026
I jolt up and I have a momentary seizure that it was all a dream, all of it—the whole Sixth North bit—but then I wonder, where would the dream start?
From "It’s Kind of a Funny Story" by Ned Vizzini
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.
