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temporal

UK/ˈtɛm.pə.ɹəl/US/ˈtɛm.pə.ɹəl/
adjectiveC1Common in everyday speech and writing · #7,278 of 15,258leans written

Temporal means to do with time, or with worldly rather than sacred things. Temporal order, temporal power, the temporal lobe.

The two senses look unrelated and share a Latin root about time and this world. Temporal power meant the pope's rule over territory, as against spiritual authority. The temporal lobe of the brain is named from the temples of the head, a third and separate word.

Definitions of temporal

  1. 1adjectivetemporalTo do with time, or with worldly rather than sacred things.C1

    “The novel's temporal jumps, from childhood to old age and back, confused some readers.”

temporal is a quality.

Where it comes from

Latin temporalis comes from tempus, time. The worldly sense grew from meaning belonging to this passing life.

  1. Proto-Indo-European

    *temh₁-

  2. Latin

    temporālis — of time (in grammar), temporary, relating to time as opposed to eternity

  3. Old French

    temporel

  4. Middle English

    temporal, temporel — transitory, worldly, material, of secular society

  5. English, today

    temporal

From Middle English temporal, temporel (“transitory, worldly, material, of secular society”), from Old French temporel or Latin temporālis (“of time (in grammar), temporary, relating to time as opposed to eternity”), from tempus + -ālis.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

Practise this word

temporal in the wild

  • Diagnosis is suspected based on symptoms, blood tests, and medical imaging, and confirmed by biopsy of the temporal artery.

    Giant cell arteritis

  • However, in about 10% of people the temporal artery is normal.

    Giant cell arteritis

  • The Holy See exercised temporal power, as distinguished from its spiritual and pastoral activity, while the pope ruled the Papal States in central Italy.

    Temporal power of the Holy See

  • The Lateran Treaty of 1929 later established the Vatican City, a small city-state where the Holy See currently exercises temporal powers.

    Temporal power of the Holy See

  • The temporal bones are overlaid by the sides of the head known as the temples where four of the cranial bones fuse.

    Temporal bone

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From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. These sentences were written by other people about their own subjects; they are here to show the word at work, not as anybody’s opinion.