provisional

[pruh-vizh-uh-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.

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

/ 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

noun

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

provisional

²

/ prəˈvɪʒənəl, prəˈvɪʒənərɪ /

adjective

1. subject to later alteration; temporary or conditional

   a provisional decision

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
• provisionally adverb
• nonprovisional adjective
• nonprovisionally adverb
• nonprovisionary adjective
• unprovisional adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of provisional¹

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

Example Sentences

It explained that he and his children had been granted provisional asylum and permission to remain in France for the next four years.

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Its current provisional licence prevents it from offering mortgages or taking deposits more than £50,000.

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The Welsh government has started to publish provisional data a month sooner than "official data", which has a seven-week lag.

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When play resumed, he was able take a penalty drop rather than playing his provisional ball - which he believed saved him at least a shot.

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The judge said Mr Ruben would be asked to plead to any charges at the next hearing, and he also set a provisional trial date of 27 January.

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Related Words

• conditional 
• interim 
• temporary 
• transitional