''Pro tempore'' (), abbreviated ''pro tem'' or ''p.t.'', is a
Latin phrase
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which best translates to "for the time being" in English. This phrase is often used to describe a person who acts as a ''
locum tenens
A locum, or locum tenens, is a person who temporarily fulfills the duties of another; the term is especially used for physicians or clergy. For example, a ''locum tenens physician'' is a physician who works in the place of the regular physician ...
'' (placeholder) in the absence of a superior, such as the
president ''pro tempore'' of the United States Senate, who acts in place of the president of the United States Senate—a position that is held ''
ex officio'' by the current
vice president of the United States
The vice president of the United States (VPOTUS) is the second-highest officer in the executive branch of the U.S. federal government, after the president of the United States, and ranks first in the presidential line of succession. The vice p ...
.
Legislative bodies can have one or more
''pro tempore'' for the presiding officer. These positions ostensibly go to legislators experienced in floor debate who are familiar with the content and application of relevant rules and precedents and who have a reputation for fairness among their colleagues.
Mayor pro tem
A common use of ''pro tempore'' in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...
is in
municipal
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the ...
ities such as
cities
A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
and
town
A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than city, cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world.
Origin and use
The word "town" shares ...
s with regard to the position of the
mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well as ...
. In many cities, the
city council
A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural counc ...
appoints one of its members to act as mayor ''pro tempore'' (''pro tem'') (or vice mayor) in the absence of the actual mayor.
Judge pro tem
In judicial
courts
A court is any person or institution, often as a government institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accor ...
, attorneys that volunteer in proceedings are called "judge pro tem".
Dean pro tem
Universities
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase ''universitas magistrorum et scholarium'', which ...
sometimes appoint heads of faculties temporarily until ratified by a board of governors or senate committee. These positions are titled "Dean pro tem".
See also
*''
Ex tempore''
References
Latin legal terminology
{{Latin-legal-phrase-stub