Temporary vs. Transient — What's the Difference?

Lasting, used, serving, or enjoyed for a limited time.

Lasting only for a short time; impermanent

One that serves for a limited time

A person who is staying or working in a place for a short time only.

Not permanent; existing only for a period or periods of time.

A momentary variation in current, voltage, or frequency.

Existing only for a short time or short times; transient, ephemeral.

Passing with time; transitory

One serving for a limited time; short-term employee.

Remaining in a place only a brief time

(programming) A short-term variable used to store an intermediate result.

(Physics) Decaying with time, especially as a simple exponential function of time.

Lasting for a time only; existing or continuing for a limited time; not permanent; as, the patient has obtained temporary relief.

One that is transient, especially a hotel guest or boarder who stays for only a brief time.

Not permanent; not lasting;

(Physics) A transient phenomenon or property, especially a transient electric current.

Lacking continuity or regularity;

Passing or disappearing with time; transitory.

Remaining for only a brief time.

(physics) Decaying with time, especially exponentially.

Having a positive probability of being left and never being visited again.

Occasional; isolated; one-off

Passing through; passing from one person to another.

(music) Intermediate.

(philosophy) Operating beyond itself; having an external effect.

Something that is transient.

(physics) A transient phenomenon, especially an electric current; a very brief surge.

(acoustics) A relatively loud, non-repeating signal in an audio waveform that occurs very quickly, such as the attack of a snare drum.

A person who passes through a place for a short time; a traveller; a migrant worker.

A homeless person.

A module that generally remains in memory only for a short time.

(Philippines) homestay

Passing before the sight or perception, or, as it were, moving over or across a space or scene viewed, and then disappearing; hence, of short duration; not permanent; not lasting or durable; not stationary; passing; fleeting; brief; transitory; as, transient pleasure.

Hasty; momentary; imperfect; brief; as, a transient view of a landscape.

Staying for a short time; not regular or permanent; as, a transient guest; transient boarders.

That which remains but for a brief time.

One who stays for only a short time;

(physics) a short-lived oscillation in a system caused by a sudden change of voltage or current or load

Of a mental act; causing effects outside the mind

Enduring a very short time;