Standard Lemma guide

interim

adj · noun · 5 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

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈɪntəɹɪm/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: IH1 N T ER0 AH0 M Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 2: IH1 N T R AH0 M Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 3: IH1 N ER0 AH0 M Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Transitional.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • Iraq's government is interim.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Temporary.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • You are interim manager until he returns from hospital.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: provisional, caretaker

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A transitional or temporary period between other events.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • His car is in the shop, but they gave him a rental to drive in the interim.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: between-time

Antonyms: none provided

4

adjective satellite

Meaning 4

serving during an intermediate interval of time

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • an interim agreement

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

the time between one event, process, or period and another

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • meanwhile the socialists are running the government

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: meantime, meanwhile, lag

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: time interval, interval

Narrower terms: interregnum

History

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin interim (“meanwhile”).

Across languages

Translations

74 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: անցումային (ancʻumayin) — transitional
  • Bulgarian: преходен (prehoden) — transitional
  • Bulgarian: промеждутъчен (promeždutǎčen) — transitional
  • Catalan: interí — transitional
  • Catalan: interinitat — transitional
  • Chinese Cantonese: 過渡嘅 /过渡嘅 (gwo3 dou6 ge3) — transitional
  • Czech: přechodný — transitional
  • Danish: midlertidig — transitional
  • Dutch: tussentijds — transitional
  • Finnish: väliaikainen — transitional
  • Georgian: გარდამავალი (gardamavali) — transitional
  • Georgian: შუალედური (šualeduri) — transitional
  • Georgian: ტრანზიციული (ṭranziciuli) — transitional
  • German: übergangsweise — transitional
  • German: interimistisch — transitional
  • Indonesian: peralihan — transitional
  • Irish: eatramhach — transitional
  • Japanese: 過渡的な (katoteki na) — transitional
  • Japanese: 過渡期の (katoki no) — transitional
  • Malay: peralihan — transitional
  • Polish: przejściowy — transitional
  • Russian: переходный (perexodnyj) — transitional
  • Serbo-Croatian: prelazan — transitional
  • Serbo-Croatian: prijelazan — transitional
  • Serbo-Croatian: preliminaran — transitional
  • Spanish: interino — transitional
  • Spanish: ad ínterim — transitional
  • Ukrainian: проміжний (promižnyj) — transitional
  • Armenian: ժամանակավոր (žamanakavor) — temporary
  • Bulgarian: временен (vremenen) — temporary
  • Catalan: interí — temporary
  • Chinese Cantonese: 臨時嘅 /临时嘅 (lam4 si4 ge3) — temporary
  • Czech: dočasný — temporary
  • Czech: prozatímní — temporary
  • Danish: midlertidig — temporary
  • Finnish: väliaikainen — temporary
  • Georgian: დროებითი (droebiti) — temporary
  • German: zwischenzeitlich — temporary
  • Indonesian: sementara — temporary
  • Japanese: 一時的な (ichijiteki na) — temporary
  • Malay: sementara — temporary
  • Old English: hwílendlic — temporary
  • Polish: tymczasowy — temporary
  • Russian: временный (vremennyj) — temporary
  • Serbo-Croatian: privremen — temporary
  • Spanish: interino — temporary
  • Spanish: ad ínterim — temporary
  • Turkish: geçici — temporary
  • Ukrainian: тимчасовий (tymčasovyj) — temporary
  • Bulgarian: промеждутък (promeždutǎk) — a transitional or temporary period between other events
  • Catalan: interí — a transitional or temporary period between other events
  • Catalan: interinitat — a transitional or temporary period between other events
  • Chinese Cantonese: 過渡期 /过渡期 (gwo3 dou6 kei4) — a transitional or temporary period between other events
  • Czech: mezidobí — a transitional or temporary period between other events
  • Danish: mellemtid — a transitional or temporary period between other events
  • French: intervalle — a transitional or temporary period between other events
  • French: intérim — a transitional or temporary period between other events
  • Georgian: დროის შუალედი (drois šualedi) — a transitional or temporary period between other events
  • Georgian: დროის მონაკვეთი (drois monaḳveti) — a transitional or temporary period between other events
  • German: Übergangszeit — a transitional or temporary period between other events
  • German: Zwischenzeit — a transitional or temporary period between other events
  • German: Interim — a transitional or temporary period between other events
  • Gujarati: વચગાળો (vacgāḷo) — a transitional or temporary period between other events
  • Indonesian: sementara — a transitional or temporary period between other events
  • Italian: intervallo — a transitional or temporary period between other events
  • Japanese: 過渡期 (katoki) — a transitional or temporary period between other events
  • Polish: przejściówka — a transitional or temporary period between other events
  • Portuguese: intervalo — a transitional or temporary period between other events
  • Portuguese: ínterim — a transitional or temporary period between other events
  • Spanish: ínterin — a transitional or temporary period between other events
  • Spanish: interín — a transitional or temporary period between other events
  • Spanish: ínterim — a transitional or temporary period between other events
  • Ukrainian: проміжок (promižok) — a transitional or temporary period between other events
  • Ukrainian: тим часом (tym časom) — a transitional or temporary period between other events
Real reading context

interim in complete knowledge articles