temporary

noun

One serving for a limited time; a short-term employee, especially in an office.

(programming) A short-term variable used to store an intermediate result.

adjective

Not permanent; existing only for a period or periods of time.

Existing only for a short time or short times; transient, ephemeral.

Roots

tempustempor- · Latin · time

Synonyms for temporary

impermanentadj nonpermanentadj transitoryadj interimadj provisionaladj transientadj stopgapn provisoryadj momentaryadj ephemeraladj fugaciousadj makeshiftadj fleetingadj

Synonyms & related words for temporary

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of temporary — including impermanent, nonpermanent, transitory, interim, provisional, transient. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to temporary

Explore words related to temporary — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include temp, provisionality, permanent, temporariness, semipermanent, impermanently, cotemporary, commorancy. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for temporary

Common synonyms for temporary include impermanent, nonpermanent, transitory, interim, provisional, transient, stopgap, provisory — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does temporary come from?

The word temporary breaks down into one root of Latin origin: the root tempor-, from Latin tempus (“time”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.