temporal

¹ American  

[tem-per-uhl, tem-pruhl] / ˈtɛm pər əl, ˈtɛm prəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to time.

2. pertaining to or concerned with the present life or this world; worldly.

   temporal joys.

3. enduring for a time only; temporary; transitory (eternal ).

4. Grammar.

   1. of, relating to, or expressing time.

      a temporal adjective, such as recent, or a temporal adverb, such as recently.

   2. of or relating to the tenses of a verb.

5. secular, lay, or civil, as opposed to ecclesiastical.

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noun

1. a temporal possession, estate, or the like; temporality.

2. something that is temporal; a temporal matter or affair.

temporal ² American  

[tem-per-uhl, tem-pruhl] / ˈtɛm pər əl, ˈtɛm prəl /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or situated near the temple or a temporal bone.

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noun

1. any of several parts in the temporal region, especially the temporal bone.

temporal ¹ British  

/ ˈtɛmpərəl, ˈtɛmprəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to time

2. of or relating to secular as opposed to spiritual or religious affairs

   the lords spiritual and temporal

3. lasting for a relatively short time

4. grammar of or relating to tense or the linguistic expression of time in general

   a temporal adverb

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temporal ² British  

/ ˈtɛmpərəl, ˈtɛmprəl /

adjective

1. anatomy of, relating to, or near the temple or temples

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temporal Scientific  

/ tĕm′pər-əl /

1. Relating to or near the bones that form the sides and part of the base of the skull.

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Other Word Forms

• temporally adverb
• temporalness noun

Etymology

Origin of temporal¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English (adjective and noun) from Latin temporālis, equivalent to tempor- (stem of tempus ) “time” + -ālis adjective suffix; -al ¹

Origin of temporal¹

First recorded in 1535–45; from Late Latin temporālis, equivalent to tempor- (stem of tempus ) temple ² + -ālis -al ¹

Example Sentences

The lower temporal bar functions much like a cheek bone.

From Science Daily

The entries are dated 1973, yet slippery temporal shifts are disrupting her research and our understanding of the narrative.

From New York Times

Her sequencing lab usually gets tissue samples from the temporal or frontal cortex — toward the front and middle of the brain.

From Seattle Times

History records many instances in which religious leaders, including those of the Roman Catholic Church, have resisted the abuses of temporal authority, and have been persecuted for it.

From Washington Post

Droughts are complicated because “there are big regional and temporal variations,” according to Andrew Dessler, the director of the Texas Center for Climate Studies and a professor at Texas A&M University.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• earthly
• materialistic
• physical
• sensual