Origin: Latin suffix -ary
Temporary has 5 different meanings across 2 categories:
a worker (especially in an office) hired on a temporary basis
One serving for a limited time; short-term employee.
In plain English: A temporary is something that exists only for a short time before ending.
"The temporary was short-lived and faded quickly after the rain."
not permanent; not lasting
"politics is an impermanent factor of life"
"impermanent palm cottages"
"a temperary arrangement"
"temporary housing"
Not permanent; existing only for a period or periods of time.
"The new manager promised that his stay at the branch office would be temporary until the building renovations were completed."
In plain English: Temporary means something that only lasts for a short time before it ends or changes.
"The rain was temporary and stopped after ten minutes."
Usage: Use temporary to describe situations, arrangements, or conditions that are intended to last only until something else takes their place. It is the direct opposite of permanent and often implies an expectation that the state will eventually change back to normal.
The word temporary comes from the Latin term temporarius, which was derived from tempus meaning time. It entered English to describe anything that lasts only for a short period rather than forever.