Temporary

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈtɛmpəɹəɹi/

Definitions

1. Lasting for only a limited period of time rather than permanently
2. Existing for a limited timeframe and not designed to last forever
3. Continuing only briefly and not intended to remain indefinitely

Etymology: "Temporary" comes from Latin "temporarius," which is built on "tempus," meaning "time." The Latin adjective described something tied to a particular time or season, and it gave English a word whose core idea is simply being bound to a span of time rather than lasting forever. The sense we know today, lasting only for a limited period, is a natural extension of that original notion of time-bound. The word is a plain borrowing rather than a coinage. English took it from Latin, and the same "tempus" root also gave English "temporal," "temporize," and "contemporary," a family of words that all turn on the idea of time in different directions.

Synonyms: transient, brief, short-lived, ephemeral, fleeting

Antonyms: permanent, everlasting, enduring, lasting, persistent