Transitory is an adjective describing something temporary or not lasting long. It refers to events, conditions, or states that are short-lived or provisional, existing only for a brief period before changing or ending. The term often contrasts with permanent or enduring states, and it can carry a slightly formal or literary tone depending on context.
"The conference offered a transitory exhibit that highlighted local artists for a single weekend."
"Her happiness was transitory, quickly replaced by the realities of returning to work."
"The city’s transitory population made neighborhood services a constant challenge."
"In literature, the mood shifts from optimistic to somber, reflecting the transitory nature of fortune."
Transitory comes from the late Latin transitorius, meaning 'passing over' or 'temporary,' derived from transire, meaning 'to go across' (from Latin trans- ‘across’ + ire ‘to go’). The English adoption retained the sense of movement and change, emphasizing that something is not permanent but in passing. The form transitioned through Old French and Latin-influenced English, with the suffix -ory signaling pertaining to a state or condition. The first known uses in English appear in the early modern period, aligning with the broader 16th–17th century expansion of Latinate vocabulary in prose and poetry. Over time, transitory has been used in legal, philosophical, and literary contexts to distinguish fleeting conditions from lasting ones, often with a slightly elevated or formal register. In contemporary usage, transitory can describe temporary employment, populations, or emotions, retaining the core sense of impermanence while adapting to modern lexicon where “temporary” might seem too plain for certain stylistic contexts.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Transitory" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Transitory"
-ory sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Say /trænˈzɪtər.i/ in US/UK and /ˈtræn.zɪˌtɔː.ri/ in UK/AU with stress on the second syllable. Start with /tr/ as a clean stop + release, then /æ/ as in cat, then /n/; the second syllable carries primary weight: /ˈzɪ/ or /ˈzɪt/ depending on tempo. End with /ər.i/ or /ɔː.ri/ with a light, quick -ry. Use your tongue to approach a light 'z' before a short 'i', and keep the final syllables unstressed for natural rhythm. Audio resources: Cambridge and Oxford dictionaries provide pronunciation clips you can mimic.
Common errors: 1) Stressing the first syllable as in tran- instead of trans-i-: you should stress the second syllable. 2) Merging /ˈzɪ/ into /ˈzɪt/ too early, causing awkward 't' release; keep /zɪ/ as a distinct nucleus before the final /tɔri/ or /təri/. 3) Over-emphasizing the final -ry; keep it light and quick. To correct: practice with a mini-slow-down: træn-ˈzɪ-tə-ri, then tone down the final vowels to a quick, soft -ri, and use a finger-tlick release on /t/ to avoid an extra syllable.
US: /trænˈzɪtəˌri/ with a clearer secondary stress and a schwa-like second 'a' in some speakers; rhotic. UK: /ˈtræn.zɪˌtɔːri/ with non-rhoticity in some regional forms and a longer 'ɔː' in the second half; AU: /ˈtræn.zɪˌtɔː.ri/ similar to UK, but with more British-influenced vowel quality and a slightly flatter pitch. Across all, the key differences are vowel quality in the second and third syllables and the presence or absence of rhoticity at the end.
It challenges your ability to keep two short vowels in adjacent syllables while maintaining a clear /z/ fricative and a light final -ry. The main difficulty is balancing the stressed /zɪ/ with the unstressed /tə/ and then smoothly gliding into /ri/ without adding extra stress. Practice focusing on the sequence tr- + æ/n + z + ɪ + tər + i; use a metronome to keep even tempo and record yourself to hear where the unfocused vowels creep in.
Is the middle vowel exactly /ɪ/ or does it reduce toward a quick /ə/ in fast speech? Many speakers tilt toward a reduced /tər/ in rapid contexts. Check whether you maintain the /z/ before the /ɪ/ and whether you can keep the final /ri/ crisp without a heavy 'ee' sound. Recording yourself saying the word in isolation and in a sentence helps you monitor whether the stress lands on the correct syllable and whether the final syllable remains light.
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