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

Explanation

Use the adjective temporary to describe something that is not permanent. "Oh my goodness! That's a tattoo," your mother might shriek. You might tell her not to worry, since it's only temporary, and will wear off in a few days. The adjective temporary is used to describe something that isn't permanent or lasts only a short time. Its roots are in the Latin word tempus, meaning "time or season." An employee who isn't a permanent addition to the staff is temporary and in this use, the word is often shortened to temp. The lull in the wind and rain is only temporary, because you know you are in the eye of the storm.

Example Sentences

The Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime chokepoint, has reopened as part of a temporary truce between Israel and Lebanon.

From Barron's • Apr. 17, 2026

The Vasquez Perdomo lawsuit resulted in an initial temporary restraining order that was upheld by the Ninth Circuit.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026

The temporary cease-fire creates space for the U.S. to continue peace talks with Iran, the main backer of Hezbollah.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

The company was also able to tap into a member of the marketing team's digital twin when they went on maternity leave, rather than hiring a temporary replacement.

From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026

This isn’t some temporary dream that I’m going to wake up from.

From "A Soft Place to Land" by Janae Marks

Related Words

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