temporal

¹ American  

[tem-per-uhl, tem-pruhl] / ˈtɛm pər əl, ˈtɛm prəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to time.

2. pertaining to or concerned with the present life or this world; worldly.

   temporal joys.

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

4. Grammar.

   1. of, relating to, or expressing time.

      a temporal adjective, such as recent, or a temporal adverb, such as recently.

   2. of or relating to the tenses of a verb.

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

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noun

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

2. something that is temporal; a temporal matter or affair.

temporal ² American  

[tem-per-uhl, tem-pruhl] / ˈtɛm pər əl, ˈtɛm prəl /

adjective

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

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noun

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

temporal ¹ British  

/ ˈtɛmpərəl, ˈtɛmprəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to time

2. of or relating to secular as opposed to spiritual or religious affairs

   the lords spiritual and temporal

3. lasting for a relatively short time

4. grammar of or relating to tense or the linguistic expression of time in general

   a temporal adverb

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temporal ² British  

/ ˈtɛmpərəl, ˈtɛmprəl /

adjective

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

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temporal Scientific  

/ tĕm′pər-əl /

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

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Other Word Forms

• temporally adverb
• temporalness noun

Etymology

Origin of temporal¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English (adjective and noun) from Latin temporālis, equivalent to tempor- (stem of tempus ) “time” + -ālis adjective suffix; -al ¹

Origin of temporal²

First recorded in 1535–45; from Late Latin temporālis, equivalent to tempor- (stem of tempus ) temple ² + -ālis -al ¹

Example Sentences

"One of Monaco's distinctive features is a kind of positive secularism, which recognises the legitimate autonomy of the spiritual and temporal spheres," Guillaume Paris, a senior clergyman in Monaco, told AFP.

From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026

The review also outlines fast-moving developments in multidimensional entanglement, ultrafast temporal structuring, advanced nonlinear detection techniques, and compact on-chip devices that can generate or process higher-dimensional quantum light than ever before.

From Science Daily • Feb. 26, 2026

Again, the compilation’s temporal breadth and depth is definitely a highlight here; there are no clunkers and no choices that feel like stretching to fill out a two-disc set.

From Salon • Feb. 24, 2026

In the world of insurance, for instance, the same risk models have been used for decades, but they don’t capture the temporal and high-dimensional resolution needed for this market.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 16, 2026

That morning, I talked to him about isolation and rejection, about how universal they were to people like him and like me, but how temporal they often were.

From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz

Related Words

• earthly
• materialistic
• physical
• sensual