short-lived

comparative shorter-lived · superlative shortest-lived · alternative shortlived

1. Alive or existent for only a short period of time.

   But his joy was short-lived, for his fortunes soon changed.

   3 more examples

   The prosperity was short-lived, and in 1828 the salt pans closed and the railway extension was lifted.

   1960 January 28, Iain D. O. Frew, “The Brora Colliery Tramway”, in Railway Magazine, page 56

   At the end of 1927 the Communists were "purged" from the Kuomintang, and although in 1928 a short-lived soviet government had been proclaimed at Hsunyi, it was crushed by General Feng Yu-hsiang's pro-Nanking troops.

   1971, Dick Wilson, “Home and Dry in Shensi”, in The Long March 1935: The Epic of Chinese Communism's Survival, New York: Viking Press, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, →OL, page 227

   Did you know? The London & North Western that became part of the LMS actually consisted of the older LNWR and the Lancashire & Yorkshire. Their merger came into effect on January 1 1922 to create the biggest but most short-lived "pre-Grouping' company.

   2021 August 11, Richard Foster, “A century of railway politics”, in RAIL, number 937, page 42

2. Of a radioisotope (or by extension radioelement): having a short half-life.