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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

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

As it stands, the 2025 life expectancy calculation wasn’t included in the report since it’s still technically provisional data.

From Salon ● Aug. 11, 2026

The brisk, absurdist tale sketches the duo’s difficulties in inhabiting their newly assumed roles and in the provisional nature of role-playing in general.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026

England and Wales both experienced the "driest July on record", the UK Met Office weather agency said Monday, based on provisional figures.

From Barron's ● Aug. 3, 2026

But our life in this village feels provisional.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver

Provisional purchasing managers’ surveys for the U.S., eurozone and the U.K. will provide a snapshot of business-sector activity during July just as military conflict in the Middle East has resumed, pulling oil prices higher.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 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 births data for 2025 reflects more than 99% of birth records analyzed by the federal government.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 9, 2026

"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 ● Feb. 27, 2026

“In the midst of the resulting chaos, turmoil, and disorder,” Yutar proclaimed, “it was planned by the accused to set up a Provisional Revolutionary Government to take over the administration and control of the country.”

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Related Words

• conditional
• interim
• temporary
• transitional