IMPERMANENT Synonyms: 75 Similar and Opposite Words

impermanent

adjective

(ˌ)im-ˈpər-mə-nənt

Definition of impermanent

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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in flash

lasting only for a short time a summer romance that was an impermanent fancy, quickly forgotten

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of impermanent Several—Forti and Smith among them—were performance artists, whose impermanent work is notoriously difficult to sell. — News Desk, Artforum, 27 Apr. 2026 Time is impermanent, but timelessness can be built, swish by swish. — Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2026 But public art is impermanent by design; posters may last months or disappear within hours. — Yamlek Mojica, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026 And executive orders are famously impermanent. — Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 12 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for impermanent

Recent Examples of Synonyms for impermanent

Adjective

Balance transfers may cause a temporary dip, but that impact should be weighed against the potential savings and the opportunity to pay down your balances faster.

— Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 10 Sep. 2026
The Burbank giant has asked a federal judge to issue a temporary restraining order and injunction to halt the FCC’s early station review.

— Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of temporary

Adjective

Saturday's flash-flood event occurred after four rounds of rain swept across parts of the Grand Canyon over a span of about six hours, according to the National Weather Service.

— Trevor Ault, ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026
Missing hiker tip line The National Park Service is asking the public to provide information about 15 missing people after a significant flash-flood event in Bright Angel Canyon and the Phantom Ranch area.

— N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of flash

Adjective

Its interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, the former al-Qa’eda militant who led the rebel offensive that overthrew dictator Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, has been struggling to rebuild a nation devastated by almost 14 years of civil war.

— The Week UK, TheWeek, 6 Sep. 2026
The deal comes eight months after Washington ousted former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in a military raid and co-opted the remaining regime led by interim President Delcy Rodríguez.

— Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of interim

Adjective

Robinson has history with quarterback Baker Mayfield from their brief overlap with the Los Angeles Rams in 2022.

— Jenny Catlin, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Organizers have said there will be more than 50 speakers or presentations each night, with many of the remarks kept brief to keep the pace fast for viewers and easy to share online.

— ABC News, ABC News, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of brief

Adjective

There is virtually no downside to the injection apart from the transient pain of the needle, and the upside is tremendous.

— Ruby Cramer, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
Summary The 2018 Sears bankruptcy underscored retail's transient nature, a lesson Jeff Bezos and former Walmart CEO Doug McMillon also emphasize.

— Jason Goldberg, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of transient

Adjective

Since his confirmation earlier this year, the central bank has split further on whether inflation is truly transitory; last month’s decision to keep rates steady resulted in the most dissents since 1970.

— Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 28 Aug. 2026
That all prices – high and low – are transitory is tautological.

— John Tamny, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of transitory

Adjective

The Leipzig scenes are both ephemeral and integral; later, Taro will speculate that if the Germans had had the same revolutionary zeal as the Spanish, Hitler might have been defeated.

— Damon Wise, Deadline, 3 Sep. 2026
Viral memes and videos are often good for only ephemeral dopamine hits, but leave the elixir to the humor and talent of the Gregory Brothers, a longtime musical quartet.

— Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of ephemeral

Adjective

Even if Goedert is healthy, a complementary tight end who can help in the passing game would be a sensible upgrade.

— Zach Berman, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
If Taron Johnson and the secondary hold up against complex passing schemes, the unit should take a noticeable leap in efficiency.

— David Troy OutKick, FOXNews.com, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of passing

Browse Nearby Words

impermanency

impermanent

impermeable

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Impermanent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impermanent. Accessed 13 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of impermanent

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

shofar

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Games & Quizzes