temporal

[ tem-per-uhl, tem-pruhl ]

/ ˈtɛm pər əl, ˈtɛm prəl /

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See synonyms for temporal on Thesaurus.com

adjective

of or relating to time.

pertaining to or concerned with the present life or this world; worldly: temporal joys.

enduring for a time only; temporary; transitory (opposed to eternal).

Grammar.

of, relating to, or expressing time: a temporal adjective, such as recent, or a temporal adverb, such as recently.
of or relating to the tenses of a verb.

secular, lay, or civil, as opposed to ecclesiastical.

noun Usually temporals .

a temporal possession, estate, or the like; temporality.

something that is temporal; a temporal matter or affair.

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Question 1 of 6

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Origin of temporal

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English (adjective and noun) from Latin temporālis, equivalent to tempor- (stem of tempus ) “time” + -ālis adjective suffix; see -al¹

OTHER WORDS FROM temporal

tem·po·ral·ly, adverbtem·po·ral·ness, noun

Words nearby temporal

temple orange, templet, Temple Terrace, tempo, tempolabile, temporal, temporal arteritis, temporal artery, temporal bone, temporal fossa, temporal gyrus

Other definitions for temporal (2 of 2)

temporal²

[ tem-per-uhl, tem-pruhl ]

/ ˈtɛm pər əl, ˈtɛm prəl /

Anatomy, Zoology

adjective

of, relating to, or situated near the temple or a temporal bone.

noun

any of several parts in the temporal region, especially the temporal bone.

Origin of temporal

1535–45; <Late Latin temporālis, equivalent to tempor- (stem of tempus) temple² + -ālis-al¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use temporal in a sentence

This spatial and temporal regulation of functions based on a change in the folded structure could be a reason that metamorphic proteins might evolve.
Some Proteins Change Their Folds to Perform Different Jobs|Viviane Callier|February 3, 2021|Quanta Magazine
They found that all increased after “temporal landmarks,” like the beginning of a new year, quarter, month, or even week.
What to Carry into the New Year|Brad Stulberg|January 7, 2021|Outside Online
The fMRI studies, he argues, seem to indicate that the human medial temporal lobe performs pattern separation because fMRI imaging doesn’t have the resolution to capture the activity of individual neurons.
Person, Woman, Man, Camera, TV - Issue 93: Forerunners|Adithya Rajagopalan|December 2, 2020|Nautilus
The mystery is that all the known laws of nature except one do not distinguish a temporal direction.
Time Flows Toward Order - Issue 93: Forerunners|Julian Barbour|December 2, 2020|Nautilus

If humanity’s evolving time perception does mirror that of a child like my daughter, then our temporal maturity as a species could be yet to come.
Humanity is stuck in short-term thinking. Here’s how we escape.|Katie McLean|October 21, 2020|MIT Technology Review
Naturalism tells us that mystics had temporal lobe epilepsy.
Eben Alexander Has a GPS for Heaven|Patricia Pearson|October 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Re-reading your own work, especially at some temporal distance, is a dangerous business.
Kerouac Biographer Gets Back on the Road|Dennis McNally|October 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Compulsive writing, or hypergraphia, is a well-known, if uncommon, symptom of temporal lobe epilepsy.
The Seizure Medication That Turns You Into a Poet|Cat Ferguson|September 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The connection between temporal lobe epilepsy and creativity is well known.
The Seizure Medication That Turns You Into a Poet|Cat Ferguson|September 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But a drug like lamotrigine is not selective, and so it also affects the behavior of the rest of the temporal lobe.
The Seizure Medication That Turns You Into a Poet|Cat Ferguson|September 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
As that is not one of their vows, and they do not have charge of temporal matters, the sick have suffered greatly.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624|Various
But here it is arranged in temporal sequence, thus giving us a concrete view of the man and his relation to this society.
Repertory Of The Comedie Humaine, Complete, A -- Z|Anatole Cerfberr and Jules Franois Christophe
They receive temporal good themselves indirectly from a covenant on which they will not take hold.
The Ordinance of Covenanting|John Cunningham
Do not postpone the settlement of your affairs, spiritual and temporal, until the last uncertain hours.
Mary, Help of Christians|Various
A very characteristic set of symptoms develops sometimes after injuries in the temporal region or just above it.
Essays In Pastoral Medicine|Austin Malley

British Dictionary definitions for temporal (1 of 2)

temporal¹

/ (ˈtɛmpərəl, ˈtɛmprəl) /

adjective

of or relating to time

of or relating to secular as opposed to spiritual or religious affairsthe lords spiritual and temporal

lasting for a relatively short time

grammar of or relating to tense or the linguistic expression of time in generala temporal adverb

Derived forms of temporal

temporally, adverbtemporalness, noun

Word Origin for temporal

C14: from Latin temporālis, from tempus time

British Dictionary definitions for temporal (2 of 2)

temporal²

/ (ˈtɛmpərəl, ˈtɛmprəl) /

adjective

anatomy of, relating to, or near the temple or temples

Word Origin for temporal

C16: from Late Latin temporālis belonging to the temples; see temple ²

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medical definitions for temporal

temporal

[ tĕm′pər-əl, tĕm′prəl ]

adj.

Of, relating to, or near the temples of the skull.

Scientific definitions for temporal

temporal

[ tĕm′pər-əl ]

Relating to or near the bones that form the sides and part of the base of the skull.

temporal

Origin of temporal

OTHER WORDS FROM temporal

Words nearby temporal

Other definitions for temporal (2 of 2)

Origin of temporal

Words related to temporal

How to use temporal in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for temporal (1 of 2)

Derived forms of temporal

Word Origin for temporal

British Dictionary definitions for temporal (2 of 2)

Word Origin for temporal

Medical definitions for temporal

Scientific definitions for temporal