transitory

Transitory is an adjective describing something that lasts only for a short time; temporary; not permanent. It is used for states, conditions, experiences, or phenomena that pass or change with time. The term can carry a nuance of movement through or across a period, as opposed to something ongoing or enduring. It is common in formal, academic, and literary contexts.

Etymology: from Latin transitorius, from transire, to pass over; the word entered English through Old French and Middle English in the early modern period. A related noun is transitoriness; adverb transitorily.

Usage: Transitory often appears in discussions of life, fortune, feelings, seasonal phenomena, or political gains seen as fleeting. For example, The city’s prosperity proved transitory, or Transitory pleasures can be satisfying but short-lived. It is not exactly synonymous with transient, though related; transient tends to emphasize brief duration or movement, while transitory emphasizes the temporal quality of being temporary. In everyday speech, temporary or short-lived are more common; transitory has a more formal or literary tone.

See also: transience, transitoriness.