temporary synonyms

temporary

modif.

transitory, transient, fleeting, short, brief, ephemeral, evanescent, fugitive, volatile, shifting, passing, summary, momentary, fugacious, stopgap, makeshift, substitute, for the time being, overnight, ad hoc (Latin), ad interim (Latin), interim, impermanent, irregular, changeable, unenduring, unfixed, unstable, perishable, provisional, acting, short-lived, mortal, pro tem, on the go*, on the fly*, on the wing*, here today and gone tomorrow*; see also momentary.

Antonyms permanent*, fixed*, eternal.

temporary applies to a post held (or to the person holding such a post) for a limited time, subject to dismissal by those having the power of appointment a temporary mail carrier; provisional is specifically applied to a government (or to its officers) established for the time being in a country, a newly formed nation, etc. until a permanent government can be formed; ad interim refers to an appointment for an intervening period, as between the death of an official and the election of a successor; acting is applied to one who temporarily takes over the powers of a regular official during the latter's absence a vice-president often serves as acting president

Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.