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fugace

Fugace is an adjective in Italian that describes something brief in duration or lasting only for a short while. It is commonly used for moments, appearances, or impressions that vanish quickly.

Etymology: The word derives from Latin fugax “fleeing, fugitive,” via Italian. In English, a related word is

Usage: In Italian, fugace is a standard everyday descriptor. In English, it appears primarily in translations,

Related terms: Fugace has a cognate English adjective, fugacious, meaning tending to flee or fleeting. Related

fugacious.
The
form
fugace
is
not
widely
used
in
modern
English;
when
encountered,
it
is
typically
in
literary
or
scholarly
contexts.
discussions
of
linguistics,
or
in
poetry
to
convey
a
refined
register.
Examples:
Italian:
“La
luce
fugace
del
tramonto.”
English
readers
might
encounter
a
translation
or
a
borrowed
use
such
as
“the
fugace
light
of
sunset”
or
“a
fugace
moment
of
joy,”
though
the
latter
is
relatively
uncommon
in
everyday
English.
technical
term:
fugacity,
used
in
physics
and
chemistry
to
describe
the
escaping
tendency
of
a
substance.
Ephemerality
is
a
general
English
noun
referring
to
the
quality
of
lasting
a
short
time,
often
used
in
similar
contexts
to
describe
fleeting
phenomena.