temporary

Not permanent; existing only for a period or periods of time.

Adjective

  1. Not permanent; existing only for a period or periods of time.
    • Sally was put in temporary charge of the department while they searched for a full-time replacement.

    Synonyms: temporal impermanent

    Antonyms: eternal unending neverending

  2. Existing only for a short time or short times.

    Synonyms: transient ephemeral earthly brief deciduous evanescent fleeting flying fugacious fugitive instant momentary passing perishable quick seasonable short short-lived temporary transitive transitory volatile whilend worldly

Origin

Borrowed from Latin temporarius, from tempus (“time”).

Forms

more temporary most temporary tempory

Related

temporality tempus fugit

Derived

cotemporary nontemporary tempban tempofrost temporarily temporariness temporary gentleman temporary help temporary restraining order temporary tooth there is nothing more permanent than a temporary solution untemporary

Noun

  1. One serving for a limited time; a short-term employee, especially in an office.

    Synonyms: floater temp

  2. A short-term variable used to store an intermediate result.

    Synonyms: temp

Forms

temporaries tempory