— temporarily /tem'peuh rair"euh lee, tem"peuh rer'-/ , adv. — temporariness , n.
/tem"peuh rer'ee/ , adj., n., pl. temporaries .
adj.
1. lasting, existing, serving, or effective for a time only; not permanent: a temporary need; a temporary job.
n.
2. an office worker hired, usually through an agency on a per diem basis, for a short period of time.
[ 1540-50; temporarius, equiv. to tempor- (s. of tempus ) time + -arius -ARY ]
Syn. 1. impermanent, passing. TEMPORARY, TRANSIENT, TRANSITORY agree in referring to that which is not lasting or permanent. TEMPORARY implies an arrangement established with no thought of continuance but with the idea of being changed soon: a temporary structure. TRANSIENT describes that which is in the process of passing by, and which will therefore last or stay only a short time: a transient condition. TRANSITORY describes an innate characteristic by which a thing, by its very nature, lasts only a short time: Life is transitory.
Ant. 1. permanent.