temporary

1 of 2

adjective

tem·​po·​rary ˈtem-pə-ˌrer-ē How to pronounce temporary (audio)
: lasting for a limited time
temporariness noun

temporary

2 of 2

noun

plural temporaries
: one serving for a limited time
adding several temporaries as typists during the summer

Examples of temporary in a Sentence

Adjective The drug will give you temporary relief from the pain. The delay is only temporary. The settlers built temporary shelters.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
As cease-fire hopes dim and humanitarian groups warn that Gaza is on the brink of famine, Biden announced Thursday that the U.S. military would construct a temporary port and pier on Gaza’s Mediterranean coast to facilitate aid delivery. Kelsey Ables, Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2024 A week ago, Change Healthcare announced plans for a temporary loan program to get money flowing to health care providers affected by the outage. Sean Lyngaas, CNN, 9 Mar. 2024 Seifert said the club's popular mechanical bull will be moved to an outdoor patio area at the bar's temporary Florence location by early fall, weather permitting. Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 8 Mar. 2024 The first-term Kansas Republican would scrap the temporary, one-week extension of last year’s budget for some federal agencies. Daniel Desrochers, Kansas City Star, 8 Mar. 2024 For example, the Palm Avenue site would only serve as a temporary location until the city develops it. Tammy Murga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Mar. 2024 Libman’s case will proceed in State Bar court, which adjudicates attorneys’ conduct and ethical issues, with potential penalties including disbarment or temporary suspension from practicing law. Matt Hamilton, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024 In north Texas, this means temporary hell for upland birds, particularly wild quail. Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 7 Mar. 2024 Biden recently announced plans to build a temporary port on Gaza’s coast to allow more humanitarian aid— which Israel has repeatedly obstructed, according to a report by Refugees International—to enter the strip. Sunny Nagpaul, Fortune, 7 Mar. 2024
Noun
After removing the temporaries, Dr. Apa slid in my new veneers, which were then bonded to my current teeth's enamel. Kassidy Silva, Allure, 23 Mar. 2023 Two new installations at Storm King For those who have already visited the art center, two new installations, one permanent and the other temporary, offer compelling reasons to return. Irene S. Levine, Forbes, 26 Oct. 2021 But senators from both parties called the setback temporary, and another vote was expected as soon as Monday. Todd Spangler, Detroit Free Press, 10 Aug. 2021 Measures of address changes, some temporary of course, were up over 27% in 2020 as moves spiked early in the pandemic and this trend has continued into 2021. Ben Baldanza, Forbes, 7 July 2021 Instead, a teacher may move from a temporary to a permanent license if the individual has not been placed on an improvement plan. Caroline Maguire and Laura Mogelson, Star Tribune, 6 May 2021 Penrod reached out to Marquette city officials, and last spring got the relevant stretch of road within the park temporary closed to evening and overnight vehicular traffic — when the emerging salamanders are on the move. Keith Matheny, Detroit Free Press, 22 Mar. 2021 That’s a common thread for those leaving the Bay Area: embracing the ambiguity of life during the pandemic and accepting that the temporary may blur into the permanent. Anna Kramer is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Anna Kramer, SFChronicle.com, 7 Sep. 2020 This allowed undocumented immigrants brought to America as children who enrolled in or graduated from school, university or the armed forces and had no criminal record temporary, renewable legal working papers. The Economist, 28 June 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'temporary.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

borrowed from Latin temporārius "suited to the occasion, made for the occasion, lasting a limited time," from tempor-, tempus "time, period of time" + -ārius -ary entry 2 — more at tempo

Noun

derivative of temporary entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1564, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1848, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of temporary was circa 1564

Dictionary Entries Near temporary

Cite this Entry

“Temporary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/temporary. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

temporary

adjective
tem·​po·​rary
ˈtem-pə-ˌrer-ē
: not permanent : lasting for a limited time
a temporary shortage
temporarily
ˌtem-pə-ˈrer-ə-lē
adverb
Etymology

Adjective

from Latin temporarius "lasting for only a short time," from tempus "time" — related to tense entry 1

More from Merriam-Webster on temporary

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