English vocabulary · C1
Temporal
/ˈtɛm.pər.əl/ · adj.
It means related to time, or not lasting forever.
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Example sentences
- The doctor said the pain is temporal and will stop soon.
- The bridge is a temporal structure, built to last ten years.
Word origin and roots
from Latin
- temp — time (from Latin)
Synonyms and nuances
- temporary (something will not last indefinitely)
- passing (a moment or phase is moving on)
- fleeting (something barely lasts before it's gone)
Words with the same root
tempus — time
- temporary — lasting only for a limited time — not permanent
- contemporary — belonging to the same time — of the present period
- tempo — the speed or pace of something — the time of a musical beat
Lesson notes
Temporal. It means related to time, or not lasting forever. Things that are temporal have a start and an end.
Similar words are temporary, passing, and fleeting. Use temporal when something belongs to the world of time, not eternity.
The doctor said the pain is temporal and will stop soon. The bridge is a temporal structure, built to last ten years.
From Latin. Temp means time. Temporal means belonging to time — it has a start and it will end. That is temporal.