temporary

American

[tem-puh-rer-ee] / ˈtɛm pəˌrɛr i /

adjective

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

a temporary need;
a temporary job.

Synonyms:

passing, impermanent

Antonyms:

permanent

noun

plural

temporaries

temp.

temporary British

/ ˈtɛmprərɪ, ˈtɛmpərərɪ /

adjective

not permanent; provisional

temporary accommodation
lasting only a short time; transitory

temporary relief from pain

"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

noun

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

"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

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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Gold hasn’t been much of a safe haven during the Iran war and the resulting energy shock, but its March slump may just be a temporary blip, according to one Wall Street strategist.

From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026

Among them: a temporary loss of communications shortly after the Wednesday evening launch and a sticky valve in the water-tank system.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026

Most importantly, the case demonstrated the concept of temporary allegiance.

From Slate • Apr. 2, 2026

The White House quickly replaced those invalidated tariffs using other, temporary means, surprising some who thought the court ruling might have offered the administration a hand with its affordability push.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026

But, he told himself, this is only temporary.

From "Dog Squad" by Chris Grabenstein

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023