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Glite Dictionary
temporary state

temporary state

1 3.5
A situation that lasts only for a short time
  • noun
translation icon : estado temporal
  • Given the current atmosphere, it probably wasn't the best of places to collapse into a temporary state of inertia.

You say confusion is a temporary state.

Examples

  • Delirium is usually a temporary state that comes on slowly and may last for a short time or even until after discharge from the hospital.

    Academic text (2006)

  • It then reloads the temporary state from the process control block of the new process and sets up the MMU appropriately.

  • We must, however, show the world that this is not a temporary state.

    Academic text (2009)

  • We are given these children in this temporary state to guide, love, and protect.

    Blog text (24)

  • This... this is a temporary state you're in.

    Ghost Dad (1990)

  • Otherwise, it is a temporary state for the victor that is eventually undermined again by a superior force.

    Blog text (25)

  • ♪ ♪ Everybody knows that's just a temporary state.

    Corpse Bride (2005)

  • Then he spoke to Satomi Shunta, who'd arrived out of breath at the hospital twenty minutes after Tomi was carried in, and had been at her side ever since; the shock had left her in a temporary state of dementia.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • After losing his job, he reminded himself that this was just a temporary state and that new opportunities would arise soon.

  • Many students find that stress is often a temporary state during exam periods, which fades once the exams are over.

Synonyms

ephemerality
vstemporary state
1 8.9

A state of lasting only a short time, like a rainbow

is the general limited-period idea without stressing extreme shortness
fleetingness
vstemporary state
1 8.2

A short time that passes quickly

is the broader limited-period idea without extreme brevity
temporality
vstemporary state
1 8.2

The fact that something lasts only for a short time

focuses on a condition that ends after some time
temporariness
vstemporary state
5.5

A state of lasting only a short time

is the broader idea of a condition that ends after some time
ephemeralness
vstemporary state
  • Specialized
9.1

The state of lasting only a short time

is the broader limited-period concept without focus on extreme brevity
transiency
vstemporary state
8.4

A short time that something exists before it ends

is the neutral limited-period idea without implying inevitable end
provisionality
vstemporary state
8.3

A situation that lasts only for a short time and may change

describes a limited condition without implying likely future change

How Long

permanent
650 3.2
interim
31 5.4
temporary state
1 3.5
brief
587 2.0
momentary
44 4.8

Surface Forms

temporary state singular
temporary states plural

Morphology

temporary + state

The meaning 'a condition that lasts for only a limited period' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'temporary' (lasting only for a short period) with 'state' (a condition). This adjective+noun compositional pattern is straightforward and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily understand the phrase.

Etymology

Temporary state puts a simple picture in your mind: temporary means 'for a short time' (like sand running through an hourglass) and state means 'a condition or situation'. So it means 'a condition that lasts only for a limited time'.