1
as in interim
intended to last, continue, or serve for a limited time
will form a provisional government until a new leader can be elected
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in temporary
serving in a position for the time being
he was appointed provisional executor of the industrialist's vast estate
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of provisional
Investors should treat flexibility as provisional, not permanent.
—
Dewardric L. McNeal, CNBC, 31 Dec. 2025
But, if the experience of the Oslo Accords—where Areas A, B, and C in the West Bank hardened from interim arrangements into a permanent cartography of control—is any guide, provisional lines drawn in the name of security almost never remain provisional.
—Mohammed R. Mhawish, New Yorker, 29 Dec. 2025
Missing from the provisional schedule are Roksanda and Huishan Zhang.
—Kirsty McGregor, Vogue, 18 Dec. 2025
Absent from the provisional calendar are Lanvin, which has been showing on various timings since Peter Copping’s debut last January, and Loewe.
—Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 18 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for provisional
Recent Examples of Synonyms for provisional
Adjective
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Beere began serving as the interim chief in November, following Chief Floyd Mitchell’s abrupt resignation weeks earlier.—
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In moving Baker to the budget office, Levine Cava also named Lydia Lopez, an assistant library director, as his interim replacement.—
Adjective
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The forthcoming Olympics in Los Angeles will only use existing or temporary stadiums, in the hope of minimizing the environmental impact of new construction.—
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While the temporary jail facility will not be subject to the city ordinance requiring the standard, the permanent facility that is also planned will be.—
Cite this Entry
“Provisional.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/provisional. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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