temporary variable

noun

UK /ˈtɛmpərəri ˈvɛəriəbl/

US /ˈtɛmpəreri ˈveriəbl/

A temporary variable is a short-lived place in a computer program that holds a value only while it is needed.

The programmer used a temporary variable to swap the two numbers.

SYNONYMS

temp variable scratch variable intermediate variable working variable throwaway variable

RELATED WORDS

local variable placeholder assignment scope memory

OTHER MEANINGS

2. In mathematics, a temporary variable is a symbol introduced briefly to simplify a calculation before being replaced.

She introduced a temporary variable to make the equation easier to solve.

3. In everyday speech, a temporary variable is a factor that changes for a short time and is not permanent.

Weather is a temporary variable in our picnic plans.

4. In spreadsheet work, a temporary variable is a cell used to hold a value during a calculation and then cleared.

He stored the total in a temporary variable before copying it to the report.