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

temporaries plural

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

Workers were seen assembling domed arches and a staging area, which based on online renderings, will form an octagon-shaped ring surrounded by a wire-mesh fence and thousands of temporary seats.

From BBC • May 27, 2026

She quickly acknowledged that the cost of hotel and motel rooms was financially unsustainable and would require the city to purchase its own temporary housing facilities.

From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2026

This doesn’t count as “true demand destruction,” but temporary relief in the supply chain, like when Japan and the U.S. released reserves from their strategic stockpiles.

From MarketWatch • May 26, 2026

Forcing people to apply from abroad, rather than from the U.S. where many temporary visa holders have already made lives, would likely reduce the overall number of green cards issued.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026

The desert roads met here, and the guardsmen of the two caravans negotiated a temporary arrangement.

From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri

Related Words

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