temporary Hear it!

temporary Definition

tem·po·rary (tem′pə rer′ē)

adjective

lasting, enjoyed, used, etc. for a time only; not permanent

Etymology: L temporarius < tempus, time: see temper

noun

an employee hired for temporary service, esp. one hired as an office worker

temporary Related Forms

tem′·po·rar′i·ly adverb tem′·po·rar′i·ness noun

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

temporary Law Definition

adj

Something that will last for only a limited period of time; transitory. Temporary is meaningless with regard to the duration of the length of time that it will last; however, it is used to designate absence of permanence.

temporary Usage Examples

Infinitive complement

  • cover: The post is temporary to cover a period of Maternity Leave.
  • begin: All roles are temporary to begin with but with serious long-term prospects.

Modifies a noun

  • accommodation: Children living in temporary accommodation or poor quality social housing are at greater risk of fire.
  • exhibition: Temporary exhibitions are already being hosted in an adjacent pavilion.
  • closure: These temporary closures are advertised in the local press for the area of the closure.
  • shelter: In other places I found families starting to clear the rubble around their homes to make space for temporary shelters.
  • basis: Tom Wilson took over on a temporary basis along with Dennis Booth.
  • suspension: FIELD SERVICES The mobility of offensive operations causes the temporary suspension of some field services.

Modifying Another Word

  • purely: The entire policy was intended to be purely temporary, a transitional arrangement.
  • however: How, then, can any stability of identity be achieved, however temporary?
  • only: Like the winter months, the current slowdown is only temporary.
  • mostly: Side-effects are the unwanted but mostly temporary effects of a successful procedure.
  • usually: Students & library patrons: This error is usually temporary.
  • sometimes: One way of avoiding redundancies is to agree a ( sometimes temporary ) reduction in pay with the affected employees.

Preposition: in

nature: Most people have experienced ill health of one kind or another from time to time, but this has probably been temporary in nature.