Meanings
comparative more provisory · superlative most provisory
- Temporary; pending something more permanent.
Synonyms: provisional
- Containing a proviso or condition.
The provisory clause effectively excluded his otherwise logical heirs from his main inheritance.
Synonyms: conditional
- Dependent on a proviso or condition.
A provisory guarantee is rather like blackmail.
Synonyms: conditional
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveTemporary; pending something more permanent.
adjectiveContaining a proviso or condition.
adjectiveDependent on a proviso or condition.
nounSynonym of provisional.
More synonyms by meaning
adjectivesubject to a proviso
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Medieval Latinprovisorius
- Englishprovisory
From Medieval Latin provisorius, from provis- (supine stem of provideo) + -orius (“-ory”).
More words from Medieval Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Finnish väliaikainen, tilapäinen
- väliaikainenpending something more permanent
- tilapäinenpending something more permanent
- provisorinenpending something more permanent
- ehdollinencontaining provisoes
- ehdollinendependent on a condition
French provisoire
- provisoirepending something more permanent
German provisorisch
- provisorischpending something more permanent
Italian provvisorio
- provvisoriopending something more permanent
Portuguese provisório
- provisóriopending something more permanent
Spanish provisorio
- provisoriopending something more permanent
Cite this entry
provisory. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/provisory
“provisory.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/provisory. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “provisory,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/provisory.
Source: provisory on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.