SINCE 1828
dictionary
thesaurus

tempus

noun
Save Word
tem·​pus | \ ˈtempəs \
plural tempora\ -​pərə \

Definition of tempus

: the relationship between breve and semibreve in mensural music When the tempus is imperfect a breve equals two minims.

— called also time

— compare modus, prolation

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

  • More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
  • Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
  • Advanced search features
  • Ad free!

First Known Use of tempus

1614, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for tempus

Latin, time

Learn More About tempus

Dictionary Entries Near tempus

tempura

tempus

tempus deliberandi

See More Nearby Entries 

Statistics for tempus

Cite this Entry

“Tempus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tempus. Accessed 23 May. 2022.

Style: MLA
MLACheck Mark Icon ChicagoCheck Mark Icon APACheck Mark Icon Merriam-WebsterCheck Mark Icon

WORD OF THE DAY

mercurial

Listen to the pronunciation of mercurial

See Definitions and Examples »

Test Your Vocabulary

Which Word Does Not Belong?

  • one green toy robot amidst many red toy robots
  • Which of these words does not mean "nonsense"?
Spell It

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

TAKE THE QUIZ
Universal Daily Crossword

A daily challenge for crossword fanatics.

TAKE THE QUIZ
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games