temporarily
Americanadverb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of temporarily
Explanation
Temporarily describes something that happens for a limited amount of time. If you agree to watch your friend's dog temporarily, you'll be surprised if it turns out that your friend will be in France for at least two years. Temporarily is the adverbial form of "temporary," which comes from the Latin word tempus, meaning time. Something done temporarily is supposed to be concluded in a finite amount of time. If your car is temporarily out of commission, you expect that you will be able to fix it and get it back on the road. If you drop the word temporarily from that sentence, your car may be a goner.
Vocabulary lists containing temporarily
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temp
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The Mayor of Casterbridge
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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.
During the pandemic, the Welsh government temporarily relaxed these rules and the allowance went up to 56 days.
From BBC • May 25, 2026
A different federal judge has temporarily blocked him from being deported while legal proceedings continue.
From Barron's • May 22, 2026
Gabbard said her last day would be June 30, staying on temporarily to help ensure “no disruption in leadership or momentum.”
From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026
The glacier temporarily stabilized during the 2022 austral winter.
From Science Daily • May 19, 2026
But when she says that the American School is going to close its doors temporarily, it’s like the last straw Chucha says broke the donkey’s back.
From "Before We Were Free" by Julia Alvarez
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.
