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• provisional
  provisional

  adjective

  providing or serving for the time being only; existing only until permanently or properly replaced; temporary.
• Provisional
  Provisional

  adjective

  of, designating, or relating to the unofficial factions of the IRA and Sinn Féin that became increasingly dominant following a split in 1969. The Provisional movement remained committed to a policy of terrorism until its ceasefires of the mid-1990s

provisional

American  

[pruh-vizh-uh-nl] / prəˈvɪʒ ə nl /

adjective

1. providing or serving for the time being only; existing only until permanently or properly replaced; temporary.

   a provisional government.

   Synonyms:

   pro tempore, ad interim, stopgap, short-term, interim

2. accepted or adopted tentatively; conditional; contingent.

   Synonyms:

   probationary, dependent

3. (usually initial capital letter) of or being the wing of the Irish Republican Army that follows a policy of violence.

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noun

1. Philately. a stamp that serves temporarily, pending the appearance of the regular issue, or during a temporary shortage of the regular stamps.

2. a provisional member of a group.

3. Usually Provisional a member of the Provisional wing of the Irish Republican Army.

Provisional ¹ British  

/ prəˈvɪʒənəl /

adjective

1. of, designating, or relating to the unofficial factions of the IRA and Sinn Féin that became increasingly dominant following a split in 1969. The Provisional movement remained committed to a policy of terrorism until its ceasefires of the mid-1990s

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noun

1. Also called: Provo. a member of the Provisional IRA or Sinn Féin

provisional ² British  

/ prəˈvɪʒənəl /

adjective

1. subject to later alteration; temporary or conditional

   a provisional decision

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noun

1. a postage stamp surcharged during an emergency to alter the stamp's denomination or significance until a new or regular issue is printed

Other Word Forms

• provisionality
  noun
• provisionalness
  noun
• nonprovisional
  adjective
• nonprovisionary
  adjective
• unprovisional
  adjective
• nonprovisionally
  adverb
• provisionally
  adverb

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Etymology

Origin of provisional

First recorded in 1595–1605; provision + -al ¹

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Explanation

Something provisional is temporary, in the sense that it's only valid for a while. You'll often hear provisional used to describe things such as governments, elections, contracts, and agreements, all of which can change into something permanent. People who go camping take provisions, which means supplies for the trip. This can be helpful when you're trying to use provisional properly. Remember that those provisions are, well, provisional—they're only supposed to last until the campers get home, where the real food is waiting. If you're in a rush to start filming, you might consider giving your star a provisional contract, so that you can at least get started. You'll have time to replace the provisional one with a permanent one while you film.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

provisional Provisional

The defendant appeared via video link from Belmarsh prison on Friday for a pre-trial hearing at the Old Bailey during which Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb set a provisional eight to 12-week trial from October 4 2027.

From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026

A provisional date for a trial was set for the beginning of April 2027.

From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026

New orders, a key indicator of future business activity, were down 10.6 percent from a month earlier due to a drop in large-scale domestic orders, according to provisional data from statistics agency Destatis.

From Barron's ● Oct. 6, 2026

France has seen around 98,000 hectares destroyed by wildfires this year, the highest level since 1976, according to provisional figures.

From Barron's ● Sep. 28, 2026

See if they build a provisional nest nearby.

From "A Bird Will Soar" by Alison Green Myers

Provisional purchasing managers’ indexes for October are due on Friday and will give an indication on how activity in the services and manufacturing sectors are holding up.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

MeritServus informed the oligarch's Russian associates, that Kravin's "Provisional Tax Assessments for 2005" would be filed showing the company earning no income from the money.

From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026

Provisional purchasing managers’ surveys measuring activity in the U.S. manufacturing and services sectors during September are due on Wednesday.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

Provisional results announced by the country's electoral commission showed that 70% of voters backed the changes in Sunday's referendum, while 30% voted against them.

From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026

“In the midst of the resulting chaos, turmoil, and disorder,” Yutar proclaimed, “it was planned by the accused to set up a Provisional Revolutionary Government to take over the administration and control of the country.”

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

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Related Words

• conditional
• interim
• temporary
• transitional

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