transitory

[tran-si-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee, -zi-]

adjective

1. not lasting, enduring, permanent, or eternal.

2. lasting only a short time; brief; short-lived; temporary.

   Antonyms: permanent

transitory

/ -trɪ, ˈtrænsɪtərɪ /

adjective

1. of short duration; transient or ephemeral

Other Word Forms

• transitorily adverb
• transitoriness noun
• untransitorily adverb
• untransitoriness noun
• untransitory adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of transitory¹

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English transitorie, from Late Latin trānsitōrius “fleeting” ( transit, -tory ¹ ); replacing Middle English transitoire, from Middle French, from Late Latin, as above

Word History and Origins

Origin of transitory¹

C14: from Church Latin transitōrius passing, from Latin transitus a crossing over; see _transient

Synonym Study

See temporary.

Example Sentences

Ahuja, though, said the discrepancy relates more to “transitory” factors than underlying business issues.

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“The softness in the remaining months of the quarter seem to potentially be government-shutdown-related and are likely transitory,” said Scott Haralson, Hertz’s chief financial officer, on the company’s Nov. 4 earnings call.

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Most supply shocks are, by definition, transitory and cannot explain the persistence of sticky inflation like the kind the U.S. has seen since mid-2023.

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Fed officials now think that any increase from tariffs will be transitory and will fade, putting inflation on a downward path to 2%.

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“This impression that, oh, inflation is a very transitory thing, is weakening,” she said.

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Related Words

• ephemeral 
• fleeting 
• short-lived