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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, prəˈvɪʒənərɪ /

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

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

Etymology

Origin of provisional

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

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

In Europe, provisional inflation figures for May from individual eurozone countries and European Central Bank accounts will be watched after a string of recent data suggested that economic activity is faltering.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026

In 2023, judges halted the trial, deeming the wheelchair-bound Kabuga "unfit to participate meaningfully" in proceedings, but he was ordered to remain detained awaiting provisional release.

From Barron's • May 16, 2026

He will be banned for two further games, having already served a provisional one-match ban, with the other three suspended for two years.

From BBC • May 6, 2026

If Mudryk's ban is upheld by Cas, he would be unable to play again until roughly December 2028, as that is four years since his provisional suspension began.

From BBC • May 1, 2026

Holding on to my hand, she watched the coffin being lowered into the earth in the provisional spot we had obtained.

From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende

Related Words

• conditional
• interim
• temporary
• transitional