temporary

[tem-puh-rer-ee]

See more synonyms for temporary on Thesaurus.com

adjective

lasting, existing, serving, or effective for a time only; not permanent: a temporary need; a temporary job.

noun, plural tem·po·rar·ies.

an office worker hired, usually through an agency on a per diem basis, for a short period of time.

Origin of temporary

1540–50; < Latin temporārius, equivalent to tempor- (stem of tempus) time + -ārius -ary

Related formstem·po·rar·i·ly

[tem-puh-rair-uh-lee, tem-puh-rer-] /ˌtɛm pəˈrɛər ə li, ˈtɛm pəˌrɛr-/, adverbtem·po·rar·i·ness, nounnon·tem·po·rar·i·ly, adverbnon·tem·po·rar·i·ness, nounnon·tem·po·rar·y, adjectiveun·tem·po·rar·y, adjective

Synonyms for temporary

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1. impermanent, passing. Temporary, transient, transitory agree in referring to that which is not lasting or permanent. Temporary implies an arrangement established with no thought of continuance but with the idea of being changed soon: a temporary structure. Transient describes that which is in the process of passing by, and which will therefore last or stay only a short time: a transient condition. Transitory describes an innate characteristic by which a thing, by its very nature, lasts only a short time: Life is transitory.

Antonyms for temporary

1. permanent.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for temporary

limited, short-lived, brief, makeshift, interim, transitory, provisional, momentary, short, supply, perishable, alternate, ephemeral, fugitive, summary, acting, transient, mortal, impermanent, volatile

Examples from the Web for temporary

Contemporary Examples of temporary

The bill, which passed Congress without opposition, is only a temporary fix and expires in 2015.
Nazis, Sunscreen, and Sea Gull Eggs: Congress in 2014 Was Hella Productive
Ben Jacobs
December 29, 2014
Workers built a temporary rail track through the city to move the statue in a process that took three days.
Florence Preps ‘David’ for the Big One
Barbie Latza Nadeau
December 25, 2014
On Monday, de Blasio called for a temporary halt to protests until after the funerals of the two slain officers.
Trayvon Martin’s Family Rejects ‘Dead Cops’ Marchers
Jacob Siegel
December 24, 2014
This month a judge intervened and granted a 30-day temporary stay on police action against Abbott.
How Dickens and Scrooge Saved Christmas
Clive Irving
December 22, 2014
Or are the risks so great that a temporary ban is necessary?
New York’s Conservative Fracking Ban
Jay Michaelson
December 20, 2014

Historical Examples of temporary

God has never, as far as we can see, dealt in special and temporary gifts.
The Conquest of Fear
Basil King
The men were preparing their breakfast, and a temporary halt had been called for that purpose.
In the Midst of Alarms
Robert Barr
He probably thought this first home so temporary it didn't count.
Dust
Mr. and Mrs. Haldeman-Julius
Longfellow's Skeleton in Armor has revealed their temporary settlement.
The Bay State Monthly, Vol. 1, Issue 1.
Various
Perhaps this fit was only temporary, and will not come again for a long time.
Frank Roscoe's Secret
Allen Chapman

British Dictionary definitions for temporary

temporary

adjective

not permanent; provisionaltemporary accommodation
lasting only a short time; transitorytemporary relief from pain

noun plural -raries

a person, esp a secretary or other office worker, employed on a temporary basisOften shortened to: temp

Derived Formstemporarily, adverbtemporariness, noun

Word Origin for temporary

C16: from Latin temporārius, from tempus time

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

Word Origin and History for temporary

adj.

1540s, from Latin temporarius "of seasonal character, lasting a short time," from tempus (genitive temporis) "time, season" (see temporal). The noun meaning "person employed only for a time" is recorded from 1848.