ENGLISH
REFERENCE

temporal

adj. · n.
US //ˈtɛmpɝəɫ// UK //tˈɛmpəɹəl// tem·po·ral
  1. 1 relating to time (adj.)
    C1 Advanced Academic

    relating to time or how things change over time.

    relating to time as a dimension or the sequence of events.

    Example

    The researchers studied the temporal patterns of the weather over ten years.

    Example

    The study examines the temporal distribution of rainfall, noting how the frequency of storms has shifted over the last three decades.

    Usage

    Usually placed before the noun.
  2. 2 worldly or non-religious (adj.)
    C1 Advanced Formal

    relating to the physical world and ordinary life rather than spiritual or religious things.

    relating to worldly as opposed to spiritual affairs; secular.

    Example

    The king had temporal power over the land, but the church handled spiritual matters.

    Example

    The treaty sought to balance the temporal authority of the state with the traditional religious rights of the local population.

    Usage

    Common in historical or legal contexts.
Show 2 more sensesShow fewer
  1. 3 relating to the temples (adj.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Medicine

    relating to the sides of the head near the eyes.

    relating to the temples or the sides of the skull.

    Example

    He felt a sharp pain in his temporal region during the headache.

    Example

    The surgeon carefully navigated the temporal bone to avoid damaging the delicate structures of the inner ear.

    Usage

    Used primarily in anatomical or medical descriptions.
  2. 4 a bone in the skull (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical Science

    one of the bones on the side of the skull.

    a short form for the temporal bone or a specific scale on a reptile's head.

    Example

    The doctor pointed to the temporal on the X-ray.

    Example

    The fracture extended across the left temporal, necessitating immediate intervention to prevent neurological complications.

    Usage

    Often used in the plural when referring to anatomical structures.

Etymology 1

From Middle English temporal, temporel (“transitory, worldly, material, of secular society”), from Old French temporel or Latin temporālis (“of time (in grammar), temporary, relating to time as opposed to eternity”), from tempus (“time, period, opportunity”) + -ālis.

Etymology 2

From Middle English, from Middle French timporal, temporal, from Late Latin temporālis, from tempora (“the temples of the head”) + -ālis (“-al”, adjectival suffix). Doublet of temporalis.

© 2026 English Reference