temporaries
Staff hired briefly
Temporaries are workers hired for short-term positions rather than permanent employment.
Businesses bring in temporaries to cover absences, handle seasonal demand, or staff projects without long-term commitment: The office hired temporaries during tax season.
Often shortened to temps.
The word can also refer to any temporary things—structures, solutions, arrangements—though this use is less common than the employment sense.
Items taking others' places
- backupsDuplicate files or substitutes
- alternatesBackup people or rotates
- understudiesSubstitute performers for principals
- proxiesAuthorized stand-ins
surrogates · pinch-hitters · reserves · second-string · deputies · relief workers · cover · seat warmers
Brief-term employees
- fill-insTemporary substitute workers
- stand-insTemporary replacement people
- substitutesReplacements for originals
- locumsFill-in doctors
relief staff · seasonal workers · casuals · agency staff · freelancers · gig workers · day laborers · on-call staff
Temporary substitute measure
- placeholderTemporary position marker
- bridgeStructure spanning an obstacle
- transitionalConnecting two phases
- interregnumRulership gap period
holding pattern · makeshift · caretaker · acting · between jobs · gap filler · short-lived · band-aid solution
Child's initial dentition
- milk teethChild's temporary teeth
- deciduous teethTemporary first teeth
- primary teethInitial set of molars, incisors
- loose teethTeeth ready to fall
first teeth · tooth fairy · teething · eruption · exfoliation
Temporary occupants or travelers
- ephemeralsShort-lived things
- flashes in the panBrief successes without staying power
- mayfliesAquatic insects, extremely short-lived
- one-hit wondersArtists with single chart success
replacements
Items taking others' places
- backupsDuplicate files or substitutes
- alternatesBackup people or rotates
- understudiesSubstitute performers for principals
proxies · surrogates · pinch-hitters · reserves · second-string · deputies · relief workers · cover · seat warmers · warm bodies
temps
Brief-term employees
- fill-insTemporary substitute workers
- stand-insTemporary replacement people
- substitutesReplacements for originals
locums · relief staff · seasonal workers · casuals · agency staff · freelancers · gig workers · day laborers · on-call staff · hired hands
stopgap
Temporary substitute measure
- placeholderTemporary position marker
- bridgeStructure spanning an obstacle
- transitionalConnecting two phases
interregnum · holding pattern · makeshift · caretaker · acting · between jobs · gap filler · short-lived · band-aid solution
baby teeth
Child's initial dentition
- milk teethChild's temporary teeth
- deciduous teethTemporary first teeth
- primary teethInitial set of molars, incisors
first teeth · loose teeth · tooth fairy · teething · eruption · exfoliation
transients
Temporary occupants or travelers
- ephemeralsShort-lived things
- flashes in the panBrief successes without staying power
- mayfliesAquatic insects, extremely short-lived
temporariespermanents
Chemical hair-curling treatments
permanent staff · full-time staff · lifers · fixtures · regulars