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

Example Sentences

Germany, Ukraine’s largest European backer, ordered eight new Patriot systems in 2024 at roughly €2 billion apiece, equivalent to $2.33 billion, but has yet to receive even a provisional delivery date, German officials say.

From The Wall Street Journal

The hierarchy that had once defined Hezbollah became provisional.

From The Wall Street Journal

The opening of an inquest into her death at Gwent Coroner's Court heard a post mortem examination had given the provisional cause of death as one of multiple injuries.

From BBC

"Provisional application is, by its nature, provisional," she added, saying: "The agreement can only be fully concluded once the European Parliament has given its consent."

From Barron's

UC Davis has filed a provisional patent related to the invention.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• conditional
• interim
• temporary
• transitional