adj.
Pronunciation: ' tem-p( ə -)r ə l
Function: adjective
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French temporel, from Latin temporalis, from tempor-, tempus time
Date: 14th century
1 a : of or relating to time as opposed to eternity b : of or relating to earthly life c : lay or secular rather than clerical or sacred : CIVIL <lords temporal >
2 : of or relating to grammatical tense or a distinction of time
3 a : of or relating to time as distinguished from space b : of or relating to the sequence of time or to a particular time : CHRONOLOGICAL
– tem · po · ral · ly adverb