SAT Basic
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temporary

/ˈtɛmpəˌrɛri/
English Definition
adj. lasting for a limited time
中文释义
临时的
Example Sentence

The museum's temporary exhibition of ancient pottery drew record crowds before the artifacts were returned to their permanent galleries.

博物馆的临时古代陶器展览在文物归还永久展厅前吸引了创纪录的观众。

Synonyms
transient provisional short-lived
Antonyms
permanent lasting
Seen in practice — from the Digital SAT question bank

Economist Daniel Voss contends that current vacancy rates reflect a temporary adjustment period, and that as leases expire and companies redesign offices for hybrid collaboration, downtown demand will largely recover.

From a Cross-Text Connections question · Craft and Structure

When a popular ride-sharing app temporarily suspended service in a mid-sized city due to a technical outage, local taxi companies reported a spike in calls during the outage, but call volumes returned to pre-outage levels within a day of the app's service being restored.

From a Inferences question · Information and Ideas

When a popular food-delivery app temporarily raised its delivery fees, orders from independent local restaurants on the app dropped sharply, but orders from large chain restaurants on the same app remained roughly steady.

From a Inferences question · Information and Ideas

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Practice — Definition Match

Which choice best defines “temporary”?

  1. A Feeling sad because something was not as good as expected
  2. B Lasting for a limited time
  3. C Having no money
  4. D Happening sometimes but not often
Show answer

B — Lasting for a limited time. “temporary” means lasting for a limited time.

Practice — Which Word Fits?

Which word means “lasting for a limited time”?

  1. A occasional
  2. B penniless
  3. C temporary
  4. D disappointed
Show answer

C — temporary. “temporary” means lasting for a limited time.

Common questions about “temporary”

What does “temporary” mean?

temporary — lasting for a limited time. In Chinese: 临时的.

How do you pronounce “temporary”?

temporary is pronounced /ˈtɛmpəˌrɛri/.

How is “temporary” used in a sentence?

The museum's temporary exhibition of ancient pottery drew record crowds before the artifacts were returned to their permanent galleries. (博物馆的临时古代陶器展览在文物归还永久展厅前吸引了创纪录的观众。)

What are synonyms for “temporary”?

transient, provisional, short-lived — all close in meaning to temporary (lasting for a limited time).

What is the opposite of “temporary”?

permanent, lasting — each the opposite of temporary (lasting for a limited time).

Is “temporary” an SAT vocabulary word?

Yes. temporary is on the SAT Prep Basic list — the everyday academic words the SAT assumes you already have. The Digital SAT does not test vocabulary in isolation; words like this one are tested through Words in Context questions, where you choose the word that completes a passage most logically and precisely.

Progress / 学习进度
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This level: 0 mastered (0% of the level)
The Digital SAT tests vocabulary through Words in Context questions, never as a standalone definition. Learn the word, then use it against a real passage.