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.
Temporarily shutting in wells is a direct way to reduce output, but it’s something oil companies try to avoid at all costs.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 29, 2026
Temporarily merging the two series stirs up excitement and fear in equal measure.
From Salon • Jan. 8, 2025
Temporarily blanking on names and misplacing items is normal.
From Seattle Times • Sep. 18, 2023
Temporarily shutting off power to reduce fire risk is a tactic used in western US states, where wildfires are common.
From BBC • Aug. 14, 2023
Temporarily he had moved Cathy into the white-painted, clean spare house of Bordoni, there to await the home and the child.
From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck
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.
