provisional

C2+ Topic:Time

US /prəˈvɪʒənəl/ UK /prəˈvɪʒənəl/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

adj
arranged or existing for the present, likely to be changed later

The committee reached a provisional agreement pending approval.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · arranged or existing for... temporary interim tentative conditionalstopgaptransitional makeshift

Opposites

permanent definitive fixed final

Word family

Derived forms provisionallyprovisionality

Related forms provision provide provisor

Etymology

From French provisionnel, from Latin provisio ('a providing'), from providere ('to foresee, provide'), from pro- ('ahead') + videre ('to see').

provisio Latin videre Latin *weyd- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Time Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# provisional

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /prəˈvɪʒənəl/
**IPA (UK):** /prəˈvɪʒənəl/

## Meanings
1. arranged or existing for the present, likely to be changed later

## Examples
- The committee reached a provisional agreement pending approval.

## Synonyms
- temporary
- interim
- tentative
- conditional
- stopgap
- transitional
- makeshift

## Antonyms
- permanent
- definitive
- fixed
- final

## Derived Forms
- provisionally
- provisionality

## Related Forms
- provision
- provide
- provisor

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: provisio
- Root: videre
- Root: *weyd-

## Etymology
From French provisionnel, from Latin provisio ('a providing'), from providere ('to foresee, provide'), from pro- ('ahead') + videre ('to see').

## AI Etymology
Provisional comes from French provisionnel, from Latin provisio ('a providing'), from providere ('to foresee, provide'), from pro- ('ahead') + videre ('to see'). The form is best read as a historical transfer or inheritance, with its older language material carrying the main semantic load. As an adjective, it carries the sense "arranged or existing for the present, likely to be changed later", with the older formation still helping explain the modern use. Relevant historical forms include Latin provisio, Latin videre, and Proto-Indo-European *weyd-. Derivative forms include provisionally, provisionality; related words include provision, provide, provisor.

## Topics
- Time
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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