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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

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

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

See Examples For:

provisional Provisional

A generation is learning, before it can vote, that its account of its own life is provisional.

From Slate ● Aug. 21, 2026

Iranian negotiators have held discussions with Oman in recent weeks over a provisional arrangement to manage shipping through the strait, but no tangible outcome has yet emerged.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026

Your provisional income, as defined by the Internal Revenue Service, includes half of your Social Security benefits plus other taxable income and tax-exempt interest.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 15, 2026

Their provisional causes of death were all given as drowning at an inquest opening in Chelmsford, while Musa also died from a hypoxic ischaemic brain injury.

From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026

Second, we have arranged for a provisional government.

From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez

Provisional PMI surveys for the U.S., eurozone and U.K. will gauge business activity as renewed Middle East conflict pushes oil prices higher.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026

European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen on Friday hailed the start of the deal's implementation, stating on X: "Provisional application will show the agreement’s tangible benefits."

From Barron's ● May 1, 2026

Provisional data for Shoeburyness in Essex for example shows that it has been the driest April on record, receiving only 0.6mm of rain recorded in the month - just 2% of the monthly average.

From BBC ● May 1, 2026

Provisional purchasing managers’ surveys for March on U.K. manufacturing and services-sector activity will be released on Tuesday, providing a snapshot of sentiment following the start of the Middle East war.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 20, 2026

A Provisional Government took the place of imperial rule in Petrograd and granted equality in law to Russian women, giving women the right to vote and to hold office.

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein

Related Words

• conditional
• interim
• temporary
• transitional