temporary

[ tem-puh-rer-ee ]
See synonyms for: temporarytemporariestemporarily on Thesaurus.com

adjective
  1. lasting, existing, serving, or effective for a time only; not permanent: a temporary need;a temporary job.

noun,plural tem·po·rar·ies.

Origin of temporary

1
First recorded in 1540–50; from Latin temporārius, equivalent to tempor- (stem of tempus ) “time” + -ārius -ary

synonym study For temporary

1. 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 words for temporary

Opposites for temporary

Other words from temporary

  • tem·po·rar·i·ly [tem-puh-rair-uh-lee, tem-puh-rer-], /ˌtɛm pəˈrɛər ə li, ˈtɛm pəˌrɛr-/, adverb
  • tem·po·rar·i·ness, noun
  • non·tem·po·rar·i·ness, noun
  • non·tem·po·rar·y, adjective
  • un·tem·po·rar·y, adjective

Words Nearby temporary

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use temporary in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for temporary

temporary

/ (ˈtɛmpərərɪ, ˈtɛmprərɪ) /


adjective
  1. not permanent; provisional: temporary accommodation

  2. lasting only a short time; transitory: temporary relief from pain

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

Origin of temporary

1
C16: from Latin temporārius, from tempus time

Derived forms of temporary

  • temporarily, adverb
  • temporariness, noun

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