momentarily

Etymology

momentary + -ly.

adv

  1. (manner) In a momentary manner; for a moment or instant.
    I imagined momentarily that it was four score and seven years ago, that I had just been brought forth from my mother[…] 23 December 2010, Phillip Roth, “Prologue”, in The Great American Novel, page 21
    The numbers thin out the further we get from London, so I don't feel guilty when I remove my mask momentarily to scoff some of the snacks I'd bought at Marylebone. December 2 2020, Paul Bigland, “My weirdest and wackiest Rover yet”, in Rail, page 68
  2. (US, proscribed, duration) In a moment or very soon; any minute now, any time now.
    This plane will be landing at Idlewild Airport momentarily.
    He told me, further, that the second coming was at hand--was looked for momentarily in Jerusalem. 1880, Lew Wallace, chapter 3, in Ben-Hur, a Tale of the Christ
  3. Progressively; moment by moment.

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