makeshift
Meaning(s)
1. temporary and rudimentary
Popularity
Medium
Professional
High
Social
How to Memorize
a makeshift solution
Analysis
Something 'makeshift' is a temporary, improvised, and usually insubstantial expedient, contrived in response to an urgent need or emergency. Simply put, it is a substitution for something better that is currently unavailable or not yet conceived. It is used in both a social and professional setting and is similar to the phrases 'rough-and-ready,' and 'cobble together.'
Social Examples (Basic)
- There was no furniture in my new apartment when I first moved in, so for the first few days I had to use a cardboard box as a makeshift seat.
- Refugees are being housed in makeshift shelters until a permanent solution can be found to the crisis.
Professional Examples (Basic)
- Lowering our prices is only a makeshift solution to our recent drop in sales. It does not get to the root of the problem.
- This is a makeshift prototype in case we have changes we wish to make at a later stage.