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tran·si·to·ry

(trănsĭ-tôr′ē, trănzĭ-)

adj.

Existing or lasting only a short time; short-lived or temporary: "the disorder of his life: the succession of cities, of transitory loves" (Carson McCullers).

[Middle English transitorie, from Old French transitoire, from Late Latin trānsitōrius, from Latin, having a passageway, from trānsitus, passage; see TRANSIT.]

tran′si·tori·ly adv.

transi·to′ri·ness n.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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