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

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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

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noun

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

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

When Nancy's appointment was confirmed on 4 December, joining from Major League Soccer side Columbus Crew, Celtic had won seven of their previous eight matches under O'Neill, who had taken temporary charge after Rodgers departed.

From BBC

“What initially looked like a temporary setback last quarter now appears to show deeper challenges,” said Benchmark analyst Michael Albanese in a note this week.

From The Wall Street Journal

It also had implemented a “temporary suspension of all for-profit vending activities.”

From The Wall Street Journal

It was driven by a drop of non-permanent residents - primarily international students as well as temporary foreign workers - in the third quarter of 2025, the largest seen since comparable records began in 1971.

From BBC

Chairwoman Louisa Munton said his actions "could not be reasonably considered as trivial, inconsequential or a mere temporary lapse" and constituted "unacceptable professional conduct and or conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute".

From BBC

Related Words

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