Momental

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Existing or occurring for only a brief instant without lasting effect
2. Describing something that happens quickly and passes almost immediately
3. Pertaining to a momentary or fleeting duration that does not endure

Etymology: "Momental" is a straightforward formation: it combines "moment," a word borrowed into English from Old French and ultimately from Latin "momentum," meaning a brief instant of time, with the suffix "-al," which turns a noun into an adjective meaning "relating to" or "characterised by." Put together, the adjective describes something tied to a moment, something that lasts only an instant. The word has a close relative in Old French, "momental," which English writers seem to have drawn on as a model. Its sense has stayed fairly stable: something that happens quickly and passes almost at once. Because "moment" itself once carried the sense of a tiny, measurable portion of time, "momental" inherited that sense of extreme brevity directly.

Synonyms: transient, fleeting, ephemeral, temporary, instant

Antonyms: permanent, lasting, eternal, enduring, timeless