ENGLISH
REFERENCE

temporary

n.
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford US //ˈtɛmpɝˌɛɹi// UK //tˈɛmpɹəɹˌi// tem·po·rary Academic General-service

n. lasting for only a short time and not planned to be permanent. You use this to describe things like a short-term job or a quick fix for a problem.

n. lasting, existing, or serving for a limited period of time only; not permanent. Often used to describe transitional states or provisional measures.


SIMPLE

The power cut is only temporary.

CONTEXTUAL

The company hired several temporary workers to help manage the increased workload during the holiday season.

COMPLEX

The government implemented temporary measures to stabilize the currency, though economists warned that long-term structural reforms were still necessary to ensure lasting growth.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Origin

Borrowed from Latin temporarius, from tempus (“time”).

Usage

Typically placed before the noun it modifies; can also follow a linking verb like 'be' or 'seem'.

Pitfall

a temporary of solutiona temporary solutionTemporary is an adjective and should modify the noun directly without a preposition.

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