1
as in temporary
intended to last, continue, or serve for a limited time
built an impermanent structure to serve for the archaeologists' living quarters during the dig
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in flash
lasting only for a short time
a summer romance that was an impermanent fancy, quickly forgotten
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of impermanent
There is the notion of light, which for me—coming from Bangladesh and being in a pavilion and in our context—the form is a nod to the shamas (lightweight, impermanent canopy structures).
—
Nargess Banks, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025
Her death shortly after the future Buddha’s birth serves as a reminder that life is impermanent and characterized by suffering.
—Megan Bryson, The Conversation, 6 May 2025
That relationship with how impermanent our time is here has been really healthy.
—Eric Ryan, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025
Any choices are impermanent given the Warriors’ injury report.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 23 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for impermanent
Nargess Banks, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025
Her death shortly after the future Buddha’s birth serves as a reminder that life is impermanent and characterized by suffering.
—Megan Bryson, The Conversation, 6 May 2025
That relationship with how impermanent our time is here has been really healthy.
—Eric Ryan, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025
Any choices are impermanent given the Warriors’ injury report.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 23 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for impermanent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impermanent
Adjective
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But the building feels temporary, with United having previously discussed removing it.—
Laurie Whitwell,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
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The goal is to get a congress of 15, with at least eight members coming from Cincinnati's homeless shelters and seven representing people who live outdoors or in temporary housing.—
Elizabeth B. Kim,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
6 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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What To Know A map shared by the NWS on Facebook showed a broad corridor of flash-flood risk spanning the Western states and Southern Plains.—
Hollie Silverman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Aug. 2025
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The emerging miners, exposed directly to the flash during its first split second, were covered in flash-absorbing black.—
Charles Pellegrino,
Rolling Stone,
6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Kay Barnes, a former Kansas City mayor, is serving in the role temporarily, but the county legislature will soon vote on an interim executive to serve until November 2026.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Bobby Petrino will make his debut as interim head coach in front of more than 100,000 fans at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville on Saturday afternoon.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
7 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The brief Bagley lead was filed on behalf of Mathew Shurka, an LGBT advocate who testified in support of Colorado’s law while it was being debated.—
Jack Birle,
The Washington Examiner,
7 Oct. 2025
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And in what could be even better news—for everyone other than Matthews, anyway—his reign atop the earnings ranking is likely to be brief.—
Brett Knight,
Forbes.com,
7 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The recent brightening could be a transient outburst rather than a steady increase as the comet approaches to the sun, only time will tell.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
3 Oct. 2025
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These voltage changes are known as transient faults and are the difference in measured voltage between consecutive readings.—
Chiara Eisner,
NPR,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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From their perspective, a star is just a transitory stage, a chrysalis.—
Ross Andersen,
The Atlantic,
24 Sep. 2025
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All empires are transitory, right?—
Nikki McCann Ramirez,
Rolling Stone,
22 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Up ⬆ One Battle After Another The Oscars are very much not determined by statistics; there are graveyards full of Oscar hopefuls that looked like winners on paper but ultimately didn’t connect with voters for some ephemeral reason or another.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
4 Oct. 2025
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Emphasizing the project’s conceptual basis, one particularly ephemeral edition, The Biggest Nemyrivskiy Art Center, 2013, was a roughly nineteen-thousand-square-foot rectangle outlined on a snowy field by a plow, disappearing as soon as the snow began to melt.—
Joanna Warsza,
Artforum,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Rush is the more logical choice if the Ravens are prioritizing making plays downfield in the passing game.—
Jeff Zrebiec,
New York Times,
8 Oct. 2025
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He's tied for the third-most passing touchdowns and is fourth in passing yards and ninth in passer rating so far this season.—
Robert Marvi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Impermanent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impermanent. Accessed 12 Oct. 2025.
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