Laikinas

Laikinas is a Lithuanian adjective meaning temporary or provisional, indicating that something is intended to last only for a limited period rather than permanently. It describes time-limited conditions, statuses, or arrangements and is common in everyday language as well as in formal or official contexts.

Etymology: The word is derived from laikas, meaning time, with the productive suffix -inas, which forms adjectives that express a relation or quality. The core sense of temporariness is central to its meaning.

Usage: Laikinas agrees with the noun it modifies in gender and number. It is used before nouns to mark temporariness, for example laikinas darbas (temporary job), laikinas susitarimas (temporary agreement), laikinas sprendimas (temporary solution). In contrast, Lithuanian also has terms for permanent status, such as nuolatinis or pastovus, which express lasting conditions.

See also: laikas (time); nuolatinis (permanent); laikinasai formos, a general note on adjectival inflection in Lithuanian.

References: The term laikinas is listed in standard Lithuanian dictionaries and reference works, including Lietuvių kalbos žodynas and other Lithuanian language resources, where it is described as an adjective denoting temporariness or provisional status.