temporary
Americanadjective
noun
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temporaries
plural
adjective
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not permanent; provisional
temporary accommodation
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lasting only a short time; transitory
temporary relief from pain
noun
Synonym Usage
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
Derived Forms
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nontemporarinessnoun
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temporarinessnoun
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nontemporaryadjective
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untemporaryadjective
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temporarilyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
Vocabulary lists containing temporary
It's About Time: Chron and Temp
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"My Superpowers"
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Essential Word Roots: Chron and Temp
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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.
See Examples For:
On Saturday, he asked his US ally, President Donald Trump, for a temporary suspension of tariffs to help his country.
From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026
He expected the construction to be temporary, but three months in, work stopped.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
The impact to your ACA subsidy, if there is one, is temporary.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026
Finland also imposed temporary aviation and maritime restrictions in the eastern Gulf of Finland on Friday, its defence forces said on X.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
Even if fairly dramatic changes were achieved while ignoring race, the results would be highly contingent and temporary.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
Ford raised its offer to $21 per hour with profit sharing and said it would make temporaries full-time workers after 90 days of continuous service.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 5, 2023
Presumably, some of the best candidates are employed--and aren't looking.We call that the Accolo Theory of Relativity: We're all temporaries; it's just a matter of degrees.
From Inc ● Mar. 25, 2013
All temporaries would be ineligible for welfare or unemployment benefits, but they could send their children to public schools.
From Time Magazine Archive
Both temporaries and regulars in the superior court are benefiting from another efficiency measure: reducing jury size from twelve to eight when the contending attorneys agree.
From Time Magazine Archive
Nevertheless, it did not, like most temporaries, attain its maximum brightness all at once.
From A Popular History of Astronomy During the Nineteenth Century Fourth Edition by Agnes M. (Agnes Mary) Clerke
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
