Transitory
/ˈtræn.sɪ.tər.i/noun
Lasting only a short time; temporary.
Did you know?Transitory comes from Latin transitorius, from transire meaning “to go across,” the same root behind words like transit and even trance-like movement through a boundary.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ters-
“to cross over, pass through”
Latin
Latin
trans
“across, beyond”
Latin
Latin
transire
“to go across, pass over”
Late Latin
Latin
transitorius
“passing, transient, temporary”
14th Century
English
transitorie
“passing, not permanent”
Modern English
English
transitory
“lasting only a short time; temporary”
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