1
as in temporary
intended to last, continue, or serve for a limited time
a provisory permit to block off the street while movie scenes were being shot
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in interim
serving in a position for the time being
a provisory legal adviser who will be replaced by a court-appointed public defender
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for provisory
Adjective
-
Yet every World Cup match creates a temporary population surge that can rival the size of a small city.—
John Samuels,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026 -
Spotify has eliminated a temporary logo, months after courting user backlash to the design that many felt was visually unappealing.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
Public Safety Director Andy Wilson has been appointed interim attorney general until January.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
7 June 2026
-
Key differences include softening cuts to capacity at the Newton Street shelter, which would be funded by a complete closure of the Lighthouse interim shelter and a $400,000 cut to a family reunification program.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 June 2026
Adjective
-
But before the first ball is kicked between Mexico and South Africa on Thursday, here are our provisional rankings of the top 50 players set to be involved at the World Cup.—
Liam Twomey,
New York Times,
11 June 2026
-
Even now, the psychological moves of the book’s last moments, how and what Maeve understands, feel to me provisional, blurry, to be co-created with the reader.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Provisory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/provisory. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
