Temporal

• POS: Adjective
• HYPHEN: tem=po=ral

CIDE DICTIONARY

Temporal, a. [L. temporalis, fr. tempora the temples: cf. F. temporal. See Temple a part of the head.].

 Of or pertaining to the temple or temples; as, the temporal bone; a temporal artery.  [1913 Webster]

Temporal bone, a very complex bone situated in the side of the skull of most mammals and containing the organ of hearing. It consists of an expanded squamosal portion above the ear, corresponding to the squamosal and zygoma of the lower vertebrates, and a thickened basal petrosal and mastoid portion, corresponding to the periotic and tympanic bones of the lower vertebrates.

Temporal, a. [L. temporalis, fr. tempus, temporis, time, portion of time, the fitting or appointed time: cf. F. temporel. Cf. Contemporaneous, Extempore, Temper, v. t., Tempest, Temple a part of the head, Tense, n., Thing.].

•  Of or pertaining to time, that is, to the present life, or this world; secular, as distinguished from sacred or eternal.  [1913 Webster]

  "The things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal."  [1913 Webster]

  "Is this an hour for temporal affairs?"  [1913 Webster]
•  Civil or political, as distinguished from ecclesiastical; as, temporal power; temporal courts.  [1913 Webster]

Lords temporal. See under Lord, n. -- Temporal augment. See the Note under Augment, n.

Syn. -- Transient; fleeting; transitory.

Temporal, n. 

 Anything temporal or secular; a temporality; -- used chiefly in the plural.  Dryden.  [1913 Webster]
"He assigns supremacy to the pope in spirituals, and to the emperor or temporals."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Temporal, adj.
1 of worldly as opposed to spiritual affairs; of this life; secular.
2 of or relating to time.
3 Gram. relating to or denoting time or tense (temporal conjunction).
4 of the temples of the head (temporal artery; temporal bone).

Idiom

temporal power the power of an ecclesiastic, esp. the Pope, in temporal matters.

Derivative

temporally adv.

Etymology

ME f. OF temporel or f. L temporalis f. tempus -oris time

THESAURUS

Temporal

Philistine, annalistic, banausic, bodily, brittle, calendarial, calendric, capricious, carnal, carnal-minded, changeable, chronogrammatic, chronographic, chronologic, chronological, chronoscopic, civil, congregational, continuous, corporal, corporeal, corruptible, dated, deciduous, diaristic, durational, durative, dying, earthly, earthy, ephemeral, evanescent, fading, fickle, fleeting, fleshly, flitting, fly-by-night, flying, fragile, frail, fugacious, fugitive, horologic, hylic, impermanent, impetuous, impulsive, inconstant, insubstantial, intercalary, intercalated, laic, laical, lasting, lay, material, materialistic, materiate, metronomic, momentary, mortal, mundane, mutable, nonclerical, nondurable, nonecclesiastical, nonministerial, nonordained, nonpastoral, nonpermanent, nonreligious, nonsacred, nonspiritual, passing, perishable, physical, popular, profane, reprobate, secular, secularist, secularistic, sensual, short-lived, somatic, substantial, temporary, terrene, terrestrial, timekeeping, transient, transitive, transitory, unblessed, undurable, unenduring, unhallowed, unholy, unregenerate, unsacred, unsanctified, unspiritual, unstable, volatile, worldly

ROGET THESAURUS

Temporal

Transientness

N transience, transientness, evanescence, impermanence, fugacity, caducity, mortality, span, nine days' wonder, bubble, Mayfly, spurt, flash in the pan, temporary arrangement, interregnum, velocity, suddenness, changeableness, transient, transient boarder, transient guest, transient, transitory, transitive, passing, evanescent, fleeting, cursory, short-lived, ephemeral, flying, fugacious, fugitive, shifting, slippery, spasmodic, instantaneous, momentaneous, temporal, temporary, provisional, provisory, deciduous, perishable, mortal, precarious, unstable, insecure, impermanent, brief, quick, brisk, extemporaneous, summary, pressed for time, sudden, momentary, temporarily, pro tempore, for the moment, for a time, awhile, en passant, in transitu, in a short time, soon, briefly, at short notice, on the point of, on the eve of, in articulo, between cup and lip, one's days are numbered, the time is up, here today and gone tomorrow, non semper erit aestas, eheu! fugaces labuntur anni, sic transit gloria mundi, a schoolboy's tale, the wonder of the hour!, dum loquimur fugerit invidia aetas, fugit hora, all that is transitory is but an illusion.

Laity

N laity, flock, fold, congregation, assembly, brethren, people, society, temporality, secularization, layman, civilian, parishioner, catechumen, secularist, secular, lay, laical, civil, temporal, profane.