momentarily

EtymologyEdit

From momentary + -ly.

PronunciationEdit

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈməʊmɛntɛɹɪlɪi/

AdverbEdit

momentarily (not comparable)

1. In a momentary manner; for a moment or instant.
2. (US) In a moment or very soon; at any moment.

   “This plane will be landing at Idlewild Airport momentarily.”

3. Progressively; moment by moment.

TranslationsEdit

Usage notesEdit

• Many speakers object to the use of momentarily in the sense of “in a moment” rather than “for a moment”, since this is inconsistent with the meaning of momentary;^[1][2] nonetheless, this use is quite common in North America, and is particularly associated with airlines, such as “we will be landing momentarily”.^[3][1][2] In place of momentarily, many speakers prefer the terms presently, soon^[1][2] or the phrase “in a moment”,^[2] for this sense of “in a moment”.

ReferencesEdit

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} “Just a Moment”, by William Safire, New York Times, May 11, 1997
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3} I Stand Corrected: More on Language, by William Safire pp. 137–138,
3. ^ On language, by William Safire, 1980, p. 9