temporary

/ˌtɛmpəˈrɛri/

/ˈtɛmpərɛri/

Other forms: temporaries

Use the adjective temporary to describe something that is not permanent. "Oh my goodness! That's a tattoo," your mother might shriek. You might tell her not to worry, since it's only temporary, and will wear off in a few days.

The adjective temporary is used to describe something that isn't permanent or lasts only a short time. Its roots are in the Latin word tempus, meaning "time or season." An employee who isn't a permanent addition to the staff is temporary and in this use, the word is often shortened to temp. The lull in the wind and rain is only temporary, because you know you are in the eye of the storm.

Definitions of temporary

1. adjective

   not permanent; not lasting
   “temporary housing”

   synonyms: impermanent

   acting

   serving temporarily especially as a substitute

   ephemeral, fugacious, passing, short-lived, transient, transitory

   lasting a very short time

   episodic

   limited in duration to a single episode

   evanescent

   tending to vanish like vapor

   fly-by-night

   ephemeral

   improvised, jury-rigged, makeshift

   done or made using whatever is available

   interim

   serving during an intermediate interval of time

   pro tem, pro tempore

   for the time being

   shipboard

   casual or ephemeral as if taking place on board a ship

   temporal

   not eternal

   terminable

   capable of being terminated after a designated time

   working

   adopted as a temporary basis for further work

   unstable

   lacking stability or fixity or firmness
2. adjective

   lacking continuity or regularity
   “employed on a temporary basis”

   synonyms: irregular

   part-time, parttime

   involving less than the standard or customary time for an activity
3. noun

   a worker (especially in an office) hired on a temporary basis
   synonyms: temp, temporary worker

   type of:

   worker

   a person who works at a specific occupation