Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Provided or serving only for the time being. synonym: temporary.
  • adjective Of or relating to any of the extremist factions of the Irish Republican Army established in 1970.
  • noun A person hired temporarily for a job, typically before having taken an examination qualifying the person for permanent employment.
  • noun A temporary stamp that is used before the official issue is released.
  • noun A member of a Provisional faction of the Irish Republican Army.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Provided for present need or for the occasion; temporarily established; temporary: as, a provisional regulation; a provisional treaty.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Of the nature of a provision; serving as a provision for the time being; -- used of partial or temporary arrangements

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective temporary
  • noun philately a postage stamp issued locally before an official issue is released.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective under terms not final or fully worked out or agreed upon

Etymologies

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Examples

  • "For a poll worker, a provisional is the easy way out."

    Delays loom in counting ballots 2006

  • And I just visited an outpost, what we call a provisional reconstruction team in Zabul Province, where this fighting is going on.

    CNN Transcript Jun 18, 2006 2006

  • And I just visited an outpost, what we call a provisional reconstruction team in Zabul Province, where this fighting is going on.

    CNN Transcript Jun 18, 2006 2006

  • And I just visited an outpost, what we call a provisional reconstruction team in Zabul Province, where this fighting is going on.

    CNN Transcript Jun 17, 2006 2006

  • And I just visited an outpost, what we call a provisional reconstruction team in Zabul Province, where this fighting is going on.

    CNN Transcript Jun 17, 2006 2006

  • The group's so-called "citizens" and elected "President" Daniel Miller set up what they call their provisional government in a 16,000-square-foot building that once was a hospital.

    December 2003 ~ Angry Bear 2004

  • The group's so-called "citizens" and elected "President" Daniel Miller set up what they call their provisional government in a 16,000-square-foot building that once was a hospital.

    December 2003 ~ Angry Bear 2004

  • The group's so-called "citizens" and elected "President" Daniel Miller set up what they call their provisional government in a 16,000-square-foot building that once was a hospital.

    ~ Angry Bear 2003

  • The group's so-called "citizens" and elected "President" Daniel Miller set up what they call their provisional government in a 16,000-square-foot building that once was a hospital.

    December 2003 ~ Angry Bear 2003

  • The group's so-called "citizens" and elected "President" Daniel Miller set up what they call their provisional government in a 16,000-square-foot building that once was a hospital.

    November 2003 ~ Angry Bear 2003

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  • provisional concept

    September 27, 2010