“Momentarily” has an important regional ambiguity. Cambridge gives the short-duration sense and separately records an American-English use meaning “very soon.” This guide keeps those senses explicit rather than declaring one universally correct.
ReviewedEvidence1 sourceSectionEnglish Usage
Quick answer
“Momentarily” can mean “for a very short time.” Cambridge also records an American-English sense meaning “very soon,” so context and audience determine which reading is likely.
Key details
Core Meaningfor a very short time; in American English, also very soon
Regional noteAmerican English also uses momentarily for “very soon”
Word Classadverb
Further guidance
Meaning
Use context to distinguish duration from imminence: “She paused momentarily” means briefly, while American “The train will arrive momentarily” can mean very soon.
Regional Usage
The “very soon” sense is specifically recorded for American English, while the short-duration sense is broadly established.
Usage Boundary
For an international audience, choose “briefly” or “very soon” when the distinction matters; that removes the regional ambiguity instead of treating either established sense as an error.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
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