provisional
/prəˈvɪʒənl/ (bre, ipa) · /prəˈvɪʒənl/ (ame, ipa) · /prə-ˈvizh-nəl -ˈvi-zhə-nᵊl/ (ame, mw)
provisional — adjective
- provisionalpositive
- more provisionalcomparative
- most provisionalsuperlative
1. Something that is provisional is used or accepted for a short period, with the e
Something that is provisional is used or accepted for a short period, with the expectation that a permanent version or arrangement will replace it later.
The university offered Gita a provisional place while her final results were being processed.
collocation: provisional place / provisional offer
The opposition formed a provisional government after the uprising and ran the country for eight months.
collocation: provisional government
Pedro passed the driving test and received a provisional license valid for one year.
Dr. Chen's research findings are still provisional and will be reviewed in June.
Wei agreed to a provisional schedule for the Taipei conference until the final dates were fixed.
- temporary
more general and common; used for people, objects, and situations
- interim
formal; often describes a measure that fills a gap until something permanent is decided
- tentative
suggests uncertainty or that something is not yet fully confirmed
- conditional
depends on something else happening first, not just on time passing
- permanent
the most direct opposite — not temporary at all
- definitive
formal; the final version that will not be changed
- final
common; no further changes expected
文法句型
provisional + noun
be + provisional
用法筆記
Frequently used in official or institutional contexts — politics, employment, education, and law — to describe arrangements that have been set up quickly and are expected to become permanent or be replaced later. Do not use for natural or physical phenomena (e.g. ❌ 'provisional weather').
常見錯誤
provisional — noun
1. A stamp that a postal authority produces for temporary use while the design of t
A stamp that a postal authority produces for temporary use while the design of the regular, permanent stamp is still being prepared or printed.
The museum displayed a rare 19th-century provisional from Brazil that was printed on coloured paper.
philatelic term: provisional (stamp)
Stamp collectors search for Chinese provisional issues from the 1890s at international stamp auctions.
The West African nation of Mali issued a hand-stamped provisional after gaining independence in 1960.
A rare 1847 British provisional printed on blue paper sold for twelve thousand pounds at auction.
- interim stamp
clearer alternative for non-specialist readers
- provisional issue
the full technical term used in philatelic catalogues
- definitive
the regular permanent stamp of a country
用法筆記
A specialist term used mainly by stamp collectors and postal historians. The opposite of a 'definitive' stamp — the regular permanent issue of a country. Provisionals are often issued during political turmoil or when new postage rates are introduced suddenly.