provisory

adjective

prə-ˈvī-zə-rē How to pronounce provisory (audio)
Definition of provisorynext
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
  1. temporary
  2. interim
  3. provisional
Adjective
  • Unlike a home price drop or a closing cost contribution, which is a permanent discount, your rate will jump up when the temporary buydown period ends.
    — Kelsey Neubauer, CNBC, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Neither side has indicated when the temporary truce would end.
    — Yuliya Talmazan, NBC news, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of temporary
Adjective
  • Running backs coach and special teams coordinator Todd Goebbel will serve as interim coach for the remainder of the season.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
  • During a March City Council meeting, interim Police Chief Douglas Brinkley said Independence officers conducted 541 pursuits in 2025, compared with 137 by Kansas City police, The Kansas City Star reported.
    — Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of interim
Adjective
  • But the suspension remains provisional, pending further legal proceedings that could include an agreement under consideration by a federal court.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 21 Oct. 2026
  • But their ballot is provisional, and it is not supposed to be counted until the voter is verified by state officials.
    — Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of provisional
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.

Browse Nearby Words

proviso
provisory
provisos
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Provisory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/provisory. Accessed 2 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of satiate

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

Ten More Words from Taylor Swift Songs

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
couple-laugh-cafe
Quiz: Foreign Phrases You Should Know Check out your bona fides and avoid any faux pas.
See All