adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived 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
Chronically Dolores
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Brief
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-ary
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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’ll have a momentary effect, no doubt about it. Humans are very reactionary,” Parsons said.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2026
CrowdStrike Holdings is having a stellar month, and that hot run isn’t just a momentary blip, according to analysts at Morgan Stanley.
From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026
Leicester got off to an awful start and, despite momentary glimmers of hope, relegation was out of their hands come the final day.
From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026
Observing that momentary disappearance allows scientists to calculate the asteroid's position, speed, and shape with remarkable precision.
From Science Daily • Mar. 9, 2026
I finally got the hat pinned under my foot and looked up in momentary triumph — just as the bus pulled up.
From "Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie" by Jordan Sonnenblick
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.
