momentarily
momentarily Lexical Profile
momentarily Game Scores & Validity
• adverb
For a very short period of time; briefly or fleetingly.
"She paused momentarily at the doorway before stepping onto the stage."
North American Very soon; in a moment or almost immediately.
"Please have a seat in the lobby, and the doctor will be with you momentarily."
Word Nuance & Usage
In British English, 'momentarily' almost exclusively means 'for a moment' (duration), whereas in North American English it also commonly means 'in a moment' (soon); thus, 'the flight will take off momentarily' means it will depart shortly in the US, which can sound to British ears as though the plane will only stay in the air for a brief instant.
• Rhymes for momentarily
Word Origin & Etymology
Formed in the 17th century from the adjective 'momentary' and the suffix '-ly', ultimately tracing back to Late Latin 'momentarius' ('short-lived') and Latin 'momentum' ('movement, particle, brief span of time').