temporary
557
3.0
- adjective
- /ˈtɛmpəˌrɛri/
:
temporal
- After the flood, many families needed temporary housing while their homes were repaired.
- temporary workers
- on a temporary basis
- only temporary
So I think humanity is temporary and we all know that.
- So I think humanity is temporary and we all know that.
- It's a it's a new background, temporary, but but unique.
- No, this is just a temporary set back.
- So that one, it was like temporary numbing agent essentially.
- Is it just temporary or it is for forever?
- That we are temporary and everything we do is temporary.
- I think that's been useful in being learning to like something so temporary, so fleeting.
Examples
-
Look, this is just temporary.
-
It's just temporary till the plumbing's done.
-
I will create a temporary page for the position.
-
We need some temporary access to the evidence room.
-
Sam said it would only be temporary, until they can find a place.
Fiction book (1991) -
You know, this was all supposed to be temporary.
-
We entered your home seeking only temporary shelter.
-
It can be something as temporary as six months.
-
But we're looking at short term, temporary prudent measures.
-
It affords us a temporary channel of communication with the outside world.
Synonyms
225
3.3
Lasting only for a little time
113
5.0
For a short time until a permanent solution or person is found
66
6.3
Lasting only a short time
49
3.9
Lasting only for a short time
44
4.8
Lasting only a very short time
38
7.0
Lasting only a short time and not permanent
17
8.6
Lasting only a very short time
11
6.8
Lasting only a short time
2
6.5
Lasting only for a short time
1
6.0
Not lasting for a long time
Lasting only for a short time
Antonyms
Compounds
- Formal
3
9.1
A court order that stops changes and protects things until the case ends
- NSFW
A short connection used for a limited time while waiting for a permanent one
How Temporary
Surface Forms
Morphology
temporary = tempor + ary
The suffix '-ary' is a recognizable adjectival ending, but the root 'tempor' is not a standalone English word, so learners cannot reliably derive the meaning from known English bases.
Etymology
Temporary comes from the Latin root tempor-, from tempus 'time', the same idea you see in tempo. So a temporary thing is one that lasts only for a short or limited 'time'.