temporally

Temporally is an adverb meaning with respect to time; in terms of timing, chronologically, or along a time axis. It is used to describe how something relates to the sequence or duration of events, or how data, processes, or phenomena align in time. The form derives from the Latin tempus, meaning time, and the adjective form temporal, augmented with the adverbial suffix -ly.

Etymology and related terms: Temporally is closely connected to the noun temporality, which denotes the quality or state of existing in time, and to the adjective temporal, which can mean related to time or, in some contexts, to the earthly or secular realm. The adverb temporally is the appropriate modifier when specifying timing, rather than duration or temporary status.

Usage: In academic and technical writing, temporally is common across disciplines such as physics, neuroscience, linguistics, archaeology, and philosophy, where precise timing matters. It indicates chronological order, synchronization, or time-dependent relationships. It is easy to confuse temporally with temporarily, which means for a limited period, not in relation to time as a dimension.

Examples: The events occurred temporally in rapid succession. The neurons responded temporally to the stimulus onset, with peak activity shortly after the cue. The data were temporally aligned with the experimental timeline.

See also: temporality, temporal, chronology, duration, time series.