transitional

American  

[tran-zish-uh-nl, ‐-sish‐] / trænˈzɪʃ ə nl, ‐ˈsɪʃ‐ /

Also transitionary

adjective

1. of or relating to a transition from one position, state, stage, subject, concept, etc., to another: transitional housing for people with serious mental illness.

   transitional governments;

   transitional housing for people with serious mental illness.

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Other Word Forms

• nontransitional
  adjective
• transitionally
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of transitional

First recorded in 1670–80; transition ( def. ) + -al ¹ ( def. )

Explanation

Sometimes people who have been laid off from their old jobs and haven’t been able to find new ones say they are in a transitional period. In other words, they are in the middle of a change. The adjective transitional relates to things such as governments, office spaces, or aspects of one’s life that are in the process of changing. This is a temporary state, until a permanent solution is established, and the word is often used with a sense of hope. For example, when someone goes through a romantic breakup and is hoping to find someone new, she might also say she is in a transitional phase. A synonym for transitional is interim.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

transitional

Torres feels lucky compared to many parents: By June, 3-year-old Lizette will be eligible for transitional kindergarten in public school and won’t need alternative care.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026

Baka was elected today as a transitional figure.

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026

Glamorous actress Rouzaina Lazkani, 36, known for television dramas, was catapulted into politics when she was among the 70 lawmakers appointed by Sharaa under the country's transitional constitutional arrangements.

From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026

Instead, the show’s costume department leaned into a “late ’70s, transitional, mauve-y, gray-bluish” color palette, according to costume designer and co-executive producer Lou Eyrich, a longtime collaborator with Murphy.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026

Mr. de Klerk talked about the need for a transitional, “power-sharing” government on a democratic basis.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Related Words

• capricious
• fickle
• fluctuating
• mercurial
• protean
• shifting
• unpredictable
• unsettled
• unstable
• varying
• volatile