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
Skyworks Solutions stock is the best-performing S&P 500 component on Tuesday as shares of the Apple supplier pick up momentum after a momentary blip on Monday.
From Barron's ● Sep. 15, 2026
The film got three stars from Tim Robey, external at The Telegraph, who notes the film's "action interludes are more nonsensical than scary" and "provide momentary dumb fun when Scott's campfire apocalypse needs waking up".
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
Forgetting his momentary panic, Jeremy walked toward the shop.
From "Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher" by Bruce Coville
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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.
