temporary

American  

[tem-puh-rer-ee] / ˈtɛm pəˌrɛr i /

adjective

1. lasting, existing, serving, or effective for a time only; not permanent.

   a temporary need;

   a temporary job.

   Synonyms:

   passing, impermanent

   Antonyms:

   permanent

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noun

plural

temporaries

1. temp.

temporary British  

/ ˈtɛmprərɪ, ˈtɛmpərərɪ /

adjective

1. not permanent; provisional

   temporary accommodation

2. lasting only a short time; transitory

   temporary relief from pain

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noun

1. Often shortened to: temp.  a person, esp a secretary or other office worker, employed on a temporary basis

Related Words

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.

Other Word Forms

• nontemporariness noun
• nontemporary adjective
• temporarily adverb
• temporariness noun
• untemporary adjective

Etymology

Origin of temporary

First recorded in 1540–50; from Latin temporārius, equivalent to tempor- (stem of tempus ) “time” + -ārius -ary

Example Sentences

During the news conference, prosecutors said they would attempt to get a court to issue a temporary restraining order to block the deployment as early as Tuesday.

From BBC

Day laborers, many of them immigrants, have gathered there for years looking for temporary construction work.

From The Wall Street Journal

The hub also has a housing officer, employed by the council, to arrange home adaptations or temporary housing.

From BBC

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission said in a statement it had "directed a temporary restriction on access to the Grok artificial intelligence for users in Malaysia" with immediate effect.

From Barron's

The community could also decide to sell the land and walk away, a simpler fix for those struggling to pay their mortgages and temporary housing costs.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• brief
• interim
• limited
• makeshift
• momentary
• provisional
• short-lived
• transitory