temporal

1 of 3

adjective (1)

tem·​po·​ral ˈtem-p(ə-)rəl 

1

a

: of or relating to time as opposed to eternity

b

: of or relating to earthly life

c

: lay or secular rather than clerical or sacred : civil

lords temporal

2

: of or relating to grammatical tense or a distinction of time

3

a

: of or relating to time as distinguished from space

b

: of or relating to the sequence of time or to a particular time : chronological

temporally adverb

temporal

2 of 3

noun

: a bodily part (such as a bone or muscle) that is near the temples or the sides of the skull behind the orbits : a temporal part

temporal

3 of 3

adjective (2)

: of or relating to the temples or the sides of the skull behind the orbits

Did you know?

Temporal existence is often contrasted with spiritual existence, which many religions teach is eternal. The American system of government features a separation of church and state—that is, a separation of spiritual and temporal authority. But such separation is relatively recent. In past centuries, the Roman Catholic Church exerted temporal authority—that is, political power—throughout much of Europe, and the Church of England has always been officially headed by the temporal ruler of Great Britain. Temporal isn't always used in religious contexts; for example, child psychologists often measure "temporal processing"—that is, speed of thinking—in children with mental difficulties. Note that temporal may also mean "near the temples (of the head);" thus, your brain's temporal lobes are situated at your temples. But this temporal is based on a different Latin root.

Synonyms

Adjective (1)

• carnal
• earthborn
• earthbound
• earthly
• fleshly
• material
• mundane
• sublunary
• terrene
• terrestrial
• worldly

Examples of temporal in a Sentence

Adjective (1)

The struggle of the dispersed Tibetan people is made all the more newsworthy by the nonviolent emphasis of their spiritual and temporal leader, the Nobel Peace laureate Dalai Lama, who lives in exile in Dharamsala, India. —Flynne Bachleda, Publisher's Weekly, 15 Aug. 1994

By eschewing history and politics, The Last Train From Madrid leeches war of its particular temporal context, providing an eight-year-old with his first glimpse of war as eternal anonymous suffering. —Donald Hall, Harper's, May 1991

… each in their own way wanted an authority which could both uphold the law and maintain the order of society; once the first age was over, the consequence of this was the de facto separation between those who maintained the law … and the men of the sword who had the power to enforce temporal order. —Albert Hourani, A History of the Arab Peoples, 1991

The history of life is not a continuum of development, but a record punctuated by brief, sometimes geologically instantaneous, episodes of mass extinction and subsequent diversification. The geological time scale maps this history, for fossils provide our chief criterion in fixing the temporal order of rocks. —Stephen Jay Gould, Wonderful Life, 1989

do not worry about temporal concerns, but instead focus on spiritual matters

administrators on campus are in place to deal with students' temporal needs, and spiritual advisors are available to help students with their nontemporal needs

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Although the Inouye Solar Telescope began operating from its perch on the Hawaiian volcano Haleakala in 2022, the addition of its latest key piece of equipment provides a major boost to its spatial, temporal, and spectral resolution to the most powerful telescope of its kind in the world. —Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 24 Apr. 2025

All the while, amid this cultural and temporal span, Moss has been stepping out in looks that speak to her expansive and most dominant role—as a style icon across multiple eras. —Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 7 Mar. 2025

The camerlengo also administers the goods and temporal rights of the Holy See until a new pope is chosen. —Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Apr. 2025

Unlike image or text generation, music operates within strict temporal and structural constraints. —Rowan Briggs, Mercury News, 18 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adjective (1)

Middle English temporal, temporel "transitory, worldly, material, of secular society," borrowed from Anglo-French, borrowed from Latin temporālis "of time (in grammar), temporary, relating to time as opposed to eternity" (Medieval Latin, "lay, secular"), from tempor-, tempus "time, period of time" + -ālis -al entry 1 — more at tempo

Noun

borrowed from Middle French, noun derivative of temporal, adjective, "of the temple" — more at temporal entry 3

Adjective (2)

borrowed from Middle French timporal, temporal, borrowed from Late Latin temporālis, from Latin tempor-, tempus temple entry 2 + -ālis -al entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1541, in the meaning defined above

Adjective (2)

1597, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing temporal

• deep temporal artery
• middle temporal artery
• superficial temporal artery
• temporal artery
• temporal artery thermometer
• temporal bone
• temporal lobe
• temporal summation
• temporal thermometer

Rhymes for temporal

• frontotemporal
• spatiotemporal

Kids Definition

temporal

adjective

tem·​po·​ral

ˈtem-p(ə-)rəl

1

: of or relating to time as opposed to eternity

2

a

: of or relating to earthly life

b

: of or relating to material as opposed to spiritual concerns

temporally

-ē

adverb

Medical Definition

temporal

1 of 3 adjective

tem·​po·​ral ˈtem-p(ə-)rəl 

: of or relating to time as distinguished from space

also : of or relating to the sequence of time or to a particular time

temporally

-ē 

adverb

temporal

2 of 3 noun

: a temporal part (as a bone or muscle)

temporal

3 of 3 adjective

: of or relating to the temples or the sides of the skull behind the orbits