temporary
Definitions
Lasting for only a limited time; not permanent.
暂时的；临时的
A worker employed for a limited period; a temp.
临时雇员；临时工
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedtempor ('time') + -ary ('relating to') = 'relating to a limited time.' If something belongs only to a stretch of time rather than to all time, it does not last — hence 'not permanent, short-lived.'
Root tempor still carries 7 more wordsUsage Guide
Most often an adjective; the noun sense ('a temporary') is less common than the clipped form 'temp.' Note the spelling and stress: TEM-po-rar-y, four syllables, easily misspelled by dropping the second 'r.' Contrast with 'temporal' (about time itself / the worldly), which is a different word — temporary = short-lived, temporal = relating to time.
Example Sentences
- 1.
We set up a temporary shelter until the house was rebuilt.
- 2.
The pain is only temporary and will fade within a few days.
- 3.
She took a temporary job at the warehouse over the summer.
Easily Confused
temporary vs. temporal: temporary means 'short-lived, not permanent' (a temporary fix). temporal means 'relating to time' or 'worldly' (temporal sequence, temporal power). They look alike but mean different things — if you can swap in 'short-term,' it's temporary.
Synonym Comparison
- temporary — lasting a limited time, the neutral default
- provisional — temporary and subject to later confirmation (provisional government)
- interim — covering the gap until a permanent version arrives (interim CEO)
- transient — passing quickly, often poetic (transient happiness)
- makeshift — temporary and improvised from whatever is at hand