provisionalpro‧vi‧sion‧al /prəˈvɪʒənəl/ ●○○ adjective formal 
a provisional government We accept provisional bookings by phone.—provisionally adverb: The meeting has been provisionally arranged for the end of May.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Following a series of provisional governments, the Dominican people elected Juan Bosch as their President.
- I've made a booking at the hotel, but it's only provisional - I'll have to confirm it soon.
- The management has made a provisional pay offer of 7%.
- You have to get a provisional licence until you pass your test.
- A provisional executive committee had been set up under the chairmanship of Franiszek Kaminski.
- In international politics nothing endures like the provisional and nothing takes as long as the imminent.
- In the year ending March 1991 provisional estimates are 204 thousand such births or 28.7% of total births.
- Middlesbrough has set a budget of £21.6m, £1.4m above the provisional limit.
- The group, which set up its own provisional government in December, hopes to hold a constitutional convention within two years.
- The objector is forgetting its point; it is both provisional and one to be argued over.
THESAURUS
continuing for only a limited period of time: · I’ve got a temporary office job, but I hope I’ll find something more permanent soon.· I’m sure the problem is only temporary.· temporary staff· a temporary visa
temporary – used especially about arrangements or information that people may decide to change in the future. Also used about licences or governments which are only arranged to last for a short time: · Does the hotel accept provisional bookings?· They have set a provisional date for the next meeting.· a provisional driving licence· In June, the rebels claimed to have formed a provisional government.· Provisional figures yesterday from the Department of Transport showed that 4,274 people were killed last year — 6 percent fewer than the previous year.
[only before noun] temporary – used about something that you use for a short time until you can replace it with something better: · The Republicans will approve the one-month budget as a stopgap measure to keep the state operating.· This is only a stopgap solution to the country’s debt problem.
[only before noun] temporary – used about an interest, thought, or feeling that is short and not very serious: · Tonight’s game will be exciting, even to those with only a passing interest in the sport.· As a student, I didn’t give working in finance even a passing thought.
formal existing or popular for only a short time: · the ephemeral beauty of white snow on green trees and bare branches· Many new words, particularly slang, are fleeting and ephemeral.
formal continuing for only a limited time, or staying somewhere for only a short time – used especially to say that something is always changing, or people only stay somewhere for a short time: · the transient nature of life· transient changes in the electrical properties of the neurons· Arizona has a highly transient population.
Longman Language Activatorcontinuing or existing for only a limited period of time · I'm sure this is only a temporary problem.· These arrangements are only intended to be temporary until an alternative is found.· Temporary shelters were hastily constructed as the refugees started to pour in.temporary job/employment · I've got a temporary secretarial job, but I'm hoping to find something more permanent.temporary staff/teacher/worker etc (=who is temporary) · There are always plenty of temporary workers available during the summer months.temporary accommodation · Because of damage to their homes, many people had to stay in temporary accommodation for a few months.
continuing, or intended to continue, for only a short time: · Quite a lot of our staff are employed on short term contracts.· The development programme was established on a short-term basis, just over a year ago.· The Prime Minister emphasized the need to look to the future, rather than only considering the short-term results.short-term memory (=the ability to remember things that happened recently): · She can still remember things that happened fifty years ago, but her short-term memory is terrible!
a provisional arrangement is temporary and can be changed or replaced in the future: · The management has made a provisional pay offer of 7%.· Following a series of provisional governments, the Dominican people elected Juan Bosch as their President.· I've made a booking at the hotel, but it's only provisional - I'll have to confirm it soon.a provisional licence British (=a driving licence that you have while you are learning to drive): · You have to get a provisional licence until you pass your test.
an interim report, measure, arrangement etc is one that is used temporarily until a final or complete one is ready: · Eventually an interim agreement on arms control was reached.· The actual sales figures were 20% higher than those estimated in the interim report in July.· The government will announce interim measures to tackle fuel shortages.
something that is done or used for a short time because there is an immediate need for it, but is replaced as soon as possible with something that is better - use this especially to show disapproval: · The first house we bought was only a stopgap, until we could afford something we really liked.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY a provisional governmentCOLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
a provisional government British English (=a temporary driving licence before you get your full licence)· Learner drivers need to obtain a provisional licence.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSNOUN· Initially only the High Court had jurisdiction to award provisional damages.· There is a similar procedure available to a defendant faced with a claim for provisional damages.
· There was talk of preparing an Ulster provisional government and creating an Ulster Volunteer Force.· Although the Union Army was ordered to work with the provisional governments, areas of conflict quickly developed.· Aid officials and provisional government spokespersons appealed for urgent medical and food aid.· Kennedy formally recognized a new provisional government on the seventh, a mere two weeks before he himself was murdered.· The group, which set up its own provisional government in December, hopes to hold a constitutional convention within two years.· The provisional government, fearing that Santa Anna might be the source of later trouble, agreed to his departure.
· Mansell admitted drink-driving, two charges of driving with defective tyres and driving on a motorway while a provisional licence holder.· Minton was obliged to register the jeep in his own name as Norman as yet had only a provisional licence.· If you are applying for your first provisional licence you must not drive until you get it.
WORD FAMILYnounproviderprovisionprovisionsverbprovideprovisionadjectiveprovisionaladverbprovisionally
likely or able to be changed in the future: a provisional government We accept provisional bookings by phone.—provisionally adverb: The meeting has been provisionally arranged for the end of May.