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

Lineage has wrapped portions of the building with a temporary material meant to contain debris, reduce odors and dampen noise during the remediation process.

— Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026
The Sheriff’s Office announced that its attorneys prevailed in court Thursday afternoon, and the temporary restraining was now dissolved.

— Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 10 July 2026

Definition of temporary

Adjective

In fact, the weather service said that more than 50% of flash-flood deaths happen in vehicles driven into floodwaters.

— Doyle Rice, USA Today, 16 June 2026
Don’t miss Alcopop’s Black Mango Watermelon, Seongju Chamoe and Watermelon Ice Pop; Matcha Latte, with flash-frozen local herbs and a hand-cut ice diamond; and Journey, a concoction that maps a tomato’s global odyssey.

— Melinda Sheckells, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026

Definition of flash

Adjective

Mattingly, now the Phillies' interim manager, has led the team from a 9-19 record to playoff contention, expressing interest in the full-time role.

— Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026
Oil threatens to spoil the market rally … again The Iran war returned to Wall Street's doorstep last week, illustrating the fragility of the interim peace agreement between Washington and Tehran.

— Alexa LoMonaco, CNBC, 11 July 2026

Definition of interim

Adjective

The French back line hesitated for a brief second, anticipating a potential foul, but Porro pressed the advantage and side-footed a shot past Mike Maignan in the 58th minute for the backbreaking goal.

— Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 July 2026
Assemblywoman Darshana Patel, a San Diego Democrat, research scientist and local school board member, cogently expressed that hope during the Assembly’s brief floor debate.

— Dan Walters, Mercury News, 14 July 2026

Definition of brief

Adjective

On the National Mall this week, Freedom 250 signs pointed visitors toward temporary state pavilions, a Ferris wheel and mobile, transitory history exhibits.

— Luke Fountain, CNBC, 3 July 2026
In June of that year, as the Fed pivoted off its transitory-inflation stance, the team used its quarterly investor call to lay out the changes coming to its investment and property management approach.

— Nia Bowers, USA Today, 25 June 2026

Definition of transitory

Adjective

How his work embraces the ephemeral, how that is expressed in pieces made to last much longer than a season.

— Rachel Elspeth Gross, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
And most ephemeral but perhaps most affecting were the shows that say something about our country and culture through their nuanced and often allegorical storytelling.

— Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 29 June 2026

Definition of ephemeral

Adjective

Taylor, now in his 16th season out of Virginia Tech, is the only quarterback in NFL history with 10,000-plus passing yards, 2,000-plus rushing yards, 70-plus passing TDs, 20-plus rushing TDs and fewer than 35 interceptions.

— Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026
The two groups aren’t just growing at different speeds—they’re moving apart with every passing year, and the absolute distance between them grows faster as both numbers get larger.

— Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 30 June 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 15 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of impermanent

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on impermanent

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

loquacious

Popular in Grammar & Usage

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

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10

Popular

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

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Games & Quizzes