'temporarily-visible' is a modern compound formed from the adverb 'temporarily' and the adjective 'visible'. 'temporarily' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'temporarius', where 'tempor-' meant 'time'. 'visible' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'vidēre' (through Late Latin/French), where the root meant 'to see'.

'temporarily' developed from Latin 'temporarius' into Old French/Medieval Latin forms and then into Middle English 'temporary', with the adverbial form 'temporarily' arising in Modern English. 'visible' came from Latin 'vidēre' → Late Latin 'visibilis' → Old French 'visible' and entered Middle English as 'visible', becoming the modern adjective. The hyphenated compound 'temporarily-visible' is a contemporary English formation used to describe ephemeral visibility.

Initially, the separate roots meant 'of time' (tempor-) and 'to see' (vid-). Over time the combined modern phrase has come to mean 'able to be seen for a limited time' or 'visible under limited conditions.'