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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

Derived Forms

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

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

If you didn’t bring your mailed ballot, some counties will require you to vote using a provisional ballot that will be counted once elections officials check that you are eligible.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 1, 2026

That provisional figure, recorded in Kew Gardens, also surpassed the hottest bank holiday Monday on record - 33.3C on the August bank holiday in 2019.

From BBC • May 25, 2026

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

The tech giant and its union reached the provisional agreement late Wednesday following last-minute government-mediated talks, avoiding a planned 18-day strike that was set to begin Thursday.

From Barron's • May 21, 2026

That speech turned an equivocal, a provisional victory on the field of battle—thanks to the alchemic power of Lincoln’s words—into a turning point in the history of American liberty.

From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith

Related Words

• conditional
• interim
• temporary
• transitional