Phrase guide

for the time being

adv · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

adv

Meaning 1

Temporarily; for now; until later; until the situation changes; in an indefinite period of time.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic, not-comparable

Examples

  • I think I will ignore the problem for the time being.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adverb

Meaning 2

temporarily

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • we'll stop for the time being

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: for the moment

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

60 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: առայժմ (aṙayžm) — temporarily; until later
  • Azerbaijani: hələlik — temporarily; until later
  • Belarusian: паку́ль (pakúlʹ) — temporarily; until later
  • Catalan: de moment — temporarily; until later
  • Catalan: ara per ara — temporarily; until later
  • Chinese Mandarin: 就目前而言 (jiù mùqián éryán) — temporarily; until later
  • Chinese Mandarin: 暫時 /暂时 (zànshí) — temporarily; until later
  • Chinese Mandarin: 權時 /权时 (quánshí) — temporarily; until later
  • Chinese Mandarin: 權且 /权且 (quánqiě) — temporarily; until later
  • Chinese Mandarin: 姑且 (gūqiě) — temporarily; until later
  • Czech: prozatím — temporarily; until later
  • Dutch: voorlopig — temporarily; until later
  • Dutch: vooreerst — temporarily; until later
  • Estonian: ajutiselt — temporarily; until later
  • Finnish: toistaiseksi — temporarily; until later
  • Finnish: tällä erää — temporarily; until later
  • Finnish: tältä erää — temporarily; until later
  • French: pour le moment — temporarily; until later
  • French: pour l'instant — temporarily; until later
  • German: fürs Erste — temporarily; until later
  • German: vorerst — temporarily; until later
  • German: einstweilen — temporarily; until later
  • German: vorläufig — temporarily; until later
  • German: zunächst einmal — temporarily; until later
  • German: bis auf Weiteres — temporarily; until later
  • Greek: προς το παρόν (pros to parón) — temporarily; until later
  • Greek: για τώρα (gia tóra) — temporarily; until later
  • Greek: για την ώρα (gia tin óra) — temporarily; until later
  • Hungarian: egyelőre — temporarily; until later
  • Hungarian: pillanatnyilag — temporarily; until later
  • Hungarian: per pillanat — temporarily; until later
  • Icelandic: í þetta sinn — temporarily; until later
  • Italian: per il momento — temporarily; until later
  • Japanese: 当分の間 (tōbun-no aida) — temporarily; until later
  • Japanese: 差し当たり (sashiatari) — temporarily; until later
  • Japanese: 取りあえず (toriaezu) — temporarily; until later
  • Polish: na razie — temporarily; until later
  • Polish: chwilowo — temporarily; until later
  • Polish: póki co — temporarily; until later
  • Portuguese: por enquanto — temporarily; until later
  • Romanian: deocamdată — temporarily; until later
  • Romanian: pentru moment — temporarily; until later
  • Russian: пока́ (poká) — temporarily; until later
  • Russian: пока́ что (poká što) — temporarily; until later
  • Russian: до поры́ до вре́мени (do porý do vrémeni) — temporarily; until later
  • Sicilian: ora pi ora — temporarily; until later
  • Spanish: por ahora — temporarily; until later
  • Spanish: por el momento — temporarily; until later
  • Spanish: por lo pronto — temporarily; until later
  • Spanish: de momento — temporarily; until later
  • Spanish: hoy por hoy — temporarily; until later
  • Swedish: tills vidare — temporarily; until later
  • Swedish: för tillfället — temporarily; until later
  • Telugu: ప్రస్తుతానికి (prastutāniki) — temporarily; until later
  • Turkish: şimdilik — temporarily; until later
  • Turkish: geçici olarak — temporarily; until later
  • Ukrainian: по́ки (póky) — temporarily; until later
  • Ukrainian: нара́зі (narázi) — temporarily; until later
  • Welsh: am dro — temporarily; until later
  • Welsh: am y tro — temporarily; until later