provisional

[ pruh-vizh-uh-nl ]

/ prəˈvɪʒ ə nl /

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See synonyms for provisional on Thesaurus.com

adjective Also pro·vi·sion·ar·y

[pruh-vizh-uh-ner-ee] /prəˈvɪʒ əˌnɛr i/ (for defs. 1, 2).

providing or serving for the time being only; existing only until permanently or properly replaced; temporary: a provisional government.

accepted or adopted tentatively; conditional; probationary.

(usually initial capital letter) of or being the wing of the Irish Republican Army that follows a policy of violence.

noun

Philately. a stamp that serves temporarily, pending the appearance of the regular issue, or during a temporary shortage of the regular stamps.

a provisional member of a group.

(usually initial capital letter) a member of the Provisional wing of the Irish Republican Army.

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Origin of provisional

First recorded in 1595–1605; provision + -al¹

OTHER WORDS FROM provisional

pro·vi·sion·al·i·ty, pro·vi·sion·al·ness, nounpro·vi·sion·al·ly, adverbnon·pro·vi·sion·al, adjectivenon·pro·vi·sion·al·ly, adverb

non·pro·vi·sion·ar·y, adjectiveun·pro·vi·sion·al, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use provisional in a sentence

They look at provisional ballots, and those which were challenged according to state and sometimes even county laws.
How election results get certified|Patrick Howell ONeill|November 17, 2020|MIT Technology Review
That includes more than 20,000 ballots ready for tallying, tens of thousands of provisional ballots left to process and about 4,200 mail ballots with signatures that need to be verified.
As Arizona count ticks on, Democratic volunteers race to make sure ballots are not rejected|Hannah Knowles|November 10, 2020|Washington Post
The Peach State’s unofficial results are available on the secretary of state’s website, though the page notes it may not include all absentee or provisional ballots.
Follow along as battleground states tally presidential votes|John Kennedy|November 5, 2020|Popular-Science
At polling places in Philly on Tuesday, we witnessed a lot of confusion among activists and voters over provisional ballots, and whether people could “spoil” — as in, willfully discard — their mail ballots in order to vote in person on Election Day.
What to Expect From the Election Turbulence to Come|Nick Fouriezos|November 4, 2020|Ozy

Of course, the nation has regularly counted late mail-in ballots, including military ballots and provisional ballots.
Election 2020: Counting on business to seek fair ballot counts|matthewheimer|October 30, 2020|Fortune
Events can profoundly shape us, yes, but I think in essence provisionally.
Escape from Korea|Jane Ciabattari|March 13, 2010|DAILY BEAST
The new general felt he could ill spare a capable officer like Lannes, and consequently he retained him provisionally.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison
Brodrick and the others had accepted the unique invitation, Laura Gunning provisionally.
The Creators|May Sinclair
Meantime the governor gave us permission, provisionally, to have each two books at a time, and to exchange them when we pleased.
My Ten Years' Imprisonment|Silvio Pellico
This is the route which was provisionally decided on by the great trans-Atlantic companies subsequent to the Titanic disaster.
Loss of the Steamship 'Titanic'|British Government
A clause was also inserted provisionally recognizing the principle of the integrity of Denmark.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 8|Various

British Dictionary definitions for provisional (1 of 2)

provisional

less commonly provisionary (prəˈvɪʒənərɪ)

/ (prəˈvɪʒənəl) /

adjective

subject to later alteration; temporary or conditionala provisional decision

noun

a postage stamp surcharged during an emergency to alter the stamp's denomination or significance until a new or regular issue is printed

Derived forms of provisional

provisionally, adverb

British Dictionary definitions for provisional (2 of 2)

Provisional

/ (prəˈvɪʒənəl) /

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

noun

Also called: Provo a member of the Provisional IRA or Sinn Féin

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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

provisional

Origin of provisional

OTHER WORDS FROM provisional

Words related to provisional

How to use provisional in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for provisional (1 of 2)

less commonly provisionary (prəˈvɪʒənərɪ)

Derived forms of provisional

British Dictionary definitions for provisional (2 of 2)