momentary

Etymology

From Middle English momentare, from Late Latin mōmentārius (“of brief duration”), from mōmentum (“a short time, an instant”). Synchronically analyzable as moment + -ary.

adj

  1. Lasting for only a moment.
  2. Happening at every moment; perpetual.
  3. Ephemeral or relatively short-lived.
    Tony's face expressed relief, and Nettie sat silent for a moment until the vicar said “It was a generous impulse, but it may have been a momentary one,[…].” 1907, Harold Bindloss, chapter 20, in The Dust of Conflict

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