Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Existing or enduring for a limited time only; not permanent; not lasting: Describes something that is temporary, transient, or not meant to last forever. It emphasizes the finite nature of an object, condition, or state.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • The sandcastle was an impermanent structure, washed away by the tide.
  • Happiness, like all emotions, is impermanent.
  • They lived in impermanent shelters while the permanent houses were being built.

Advanced Usage

• Philosophical/Spiritual Context: Often used in discussions about the nature of existence, particularly in Buddhist philosophy, to describe the fundamental characteristic that all conditioned phenomena are transient and subject to change.
  • The core teaching emphasizes the impermanent nature of all things.

Variants and Related Words

• Impermanence (noun): The state or fact of lasting for only a limited period of time; transience.
  • The impermanence of life is a common theme in literature.
• Permanence (noun): The opposite state of lasting or remaining unchanged indefinitely.

Synonyms

• Temporary: Lasting for only a limited period; not permanent.
• Transient: Lasting only for a short time; impermanent.
• Fleeting: Lasting for a very short time.
• Ephemeral: Lasting for a very short time (often with a poetic or literary tone).
• Provisional: Arranged or existing for the present, possibly to be changed later.

Antonyms

• Permanent: Lasting or intended to last or remain unchanged indefinitely.
• Lasting: Continuing for a long time; enduring.
• Everlasting: Lasting forever or for a very long time.
• Enduring: Lasting over a long period; durable.

Adjective

1. existing or enduring for a limited time only
2. not permanent; not lasting
   • politics is an impermanent factor of life- James Thurber
   • impermanent palm cottages
   • a temperary arrangement
   • temporary housing