Temporary Definition & Meaning

American

British

Related Words

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Examples

Related Words

Synonyms 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

noun

plural

temporaries

1. temp.

temporary British / ˈtɛmprərɪ, ˈtɛmpərərɪ /

adjective

1. not permanent; provisional

   temporary accommodation

2. 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

1. 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.

Woodson viewed the observance as a corrective—a temporary intervention designed to ensure black history would be taught throughout the year as part of American history.

From The Wall Street Journal

The centerpiece of her campaign is a temporary suspension in the consumption tax on food.

From The Wall Street Journal

But USC leaders said they changed their minds about him after seeing his temporary stewardship of the campus in a difficult time.

From Los Angeles Times

African manufacturers warned on Wednesday that a one-year extension to the long-standing duty-free deal with the United States was only a temporary "breather" and could jeopardise long-term investment.

From Barron's

“All of those are temporary and theoretical,” the social worker replied.

From Literature

Related Words

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

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.