temporary

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin temporarius, from tempus (time).

Pronunciation

  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈtɛmpəɹəɹi/, /ˈtɛmpəɹi/
  • (General American) IPA(key): /ˈtɛmp(əˌɹ)ɛɹi/, /ˈtɛmpəɹi/
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Hyphenation: tem‧po‧rary

Adjective

temporary (comparative more temporary, superlative most temporary)

  1. Not permanent; existing only for a period or periods of time.
    Sally was put in temporary charge of the department while they searched for a full-time replacement.
  2. Existing only for a short time or short times; transient, ephemeral.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

temporary (plural temporaries)

  1. One serving for a limited time; a short-term employee, especially in an office.
    Synonyms: floater, temp
  2. (programming) A short-term variable used to store an intermediate result.
    Synonym: temp

Translations