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Glite Dictionary
Provisional Irish Republican Army

Provisional Irish Republican Army

1 8.8
An armed Irish group that used violence to end British rule in Northern Ireland
  • proper noun
  • NSFW
: Ejército Republicano Irlandés Provisional
  • The activities of the Provisional Irish Republican Army had a significant impact on British and Irish politics.

Examples

  • The Provisional Irish Republican Army was formed in 1969.

  • Many people opposed the actions of the Provisional Irish Republican Army.

  • In the 1990s, peace talks included representatives from the Provisional Irish Republican Army.

  • The Provisional Irish Republican Army claimed responsibility for several bombings during the conflict in Northern Ireland.

  • During the late 20th century, the Provisional Irish Republican Army engaged in violent operations to promote Irish nationalism.

  • Members of the Provisional Irish Republican Army were known for their use of guerrilla tactics against British security forces.

  • The Provisional Irish Republican Army sought to end British rule in Northern Ireland through a campaign of armed resistance.

Synonyms

Provisional IRA
vsProvisional Irish Republican Army
  • NSFW
1 8.8

An armed Irish group that used violence to fight British troops in Northern Ireland and unite Ireland

has identical meaning but uses the full official title
Provos
vsProvisional Irish Republican Army
  • NSFW
1 9.9

A group in Northern Ireland that used violence against British forces to try to unite Ireland

has identical meaning but is the formal organizational name

Surface Forms

Provisional Irish Republican Army main

Morphology

provisional + Irish + republican + army

The headword is compositionally built from known constituents: 'provisional' (temporary), 'Irish' (from Ireland), 'republican' (supporting a republic) and 'army' (armed force), so a learner can infer it refers to an (initially) temporary army of Irish republicans. A B1 learner who knows the component words will grasp the basic referent, though they may not infer the specific historical/paramilitary connotations or tactics without additional context.

Etymology

Provisional Irish Republican Army comes from its parts: Provisional meant 'temporary', Irish shows the nation, Republican meant wanting a united Ireland, and Army showed it acted like a 'fighting group'. So the name tells you it was a group that called itself an army of people who wanted a united Ireland, formed as a temporary force that used weapons to try to end British rule.