stopgap
Americannoun
adjective
noun
Etymology
Origin of stopgap
First recorded in 1525–35; noun, adj. use of verb phrase stop a gap
Explanation
A stopgap is a temporary solution to a problem, like a piece of cardboard taped over the broken window in your car. Until you can get it fixed, you need a stopgap. This sturdy English native dates to the early 16th century, and like its semantic cousin makeshift, it seems to have been cobbled together by the two closest words at hand. Both words actually originated from phrasal use of their components: stop a gap for the first, and make shift for the second. Not that they're jury-rigged in any way!
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.
Nick Hillman, director at the Higher Education Policy Institute, said while the change would be welcomed by many, it was "just a stopgap" that was "unlikely to assuage the concerns" of many graduates.
From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026
Any solution you can find to the woes of space is essentially a stopgap measure designed to keep astronauts relatively healthy for six-month stretches.
From Slate • Mar. 1, 2026
The legislation aims to keep the federal government open through September while allocating stopgap funding for the Department of Homeland Security, as negotiations continue over that department’s budget.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 3, 2026
Reports like that are helpful as a stopgap but can’t replace the government’s efforts to gather data that cover the whole economy, UBS economist Alan Detmeister said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 2, 2026
The Summer Session—a few dozen boys being force-fed education, a stopgap while most of the masters were away and most of the traditions stored against sultriness—the Summer Session was over.
From "A Separate Peace" by John Knowles
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.
