Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
Provisional IRA

Provisional IRA

8.8
An armed Irish group that used violence to fight British troops in Northern Ireland and unite Ireland
  • proper noun
  • NSFW
translation icon : IRA Provisional
  • Several members of the Provisional IRA were arrested after a failed bombing attempt in Belfast.

Examples

  • The British government held talks with the Provisional IRA in hopes of ending the violence in Northern Ireland.

  • The legacy of the Provisional IRA continues to influence politics in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

  • The Provisional IRA was formed in 1969.

  • Many people feared the Provisional IRA during the Troubles.

  • Several members of the Provisional IRA were arrested after a failed bombing attempt in Belfast.

  • The British government held talks with the Provisional IRA in hopes of ending the violence in Northern Ireland.

  • Many people feared the Provisional IRA during the Troubles.

Synonyms

Provos
vsProvisional IRA
  • NSFW
9.9

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

is the official abbreviated name used in reports and history
Provisional Irish Republican Army
vsProvisional IRA
  • NSFW
8.8

An armed Irish group that used violence to end British rule in Northern Ireland

is the common shortened form often used instead of the long name

Surface Forms

Provisional IRA main

Morphology

provisional + IRA

The compound is compositional: 'provisional' (not permanent/a temporary faction) modifies 'IRA' (an armed Irish nationalist group), so a learner who knows both words can infer it refers to a particular/temporary faction of the IRA. Although detailed historical context and activities are extra knowledge, the core identity as a specific IRA faction is directly derivable from the constituents.

Etymology

Provisional IRA took its name after a split when part of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) formed a new, Provisional group, with Provisional meaning 'temporary'. They used violence to try 'to remove British troops' and 'to unite Ireland', and because this group led that fight the name Provisional IRA became the label people remember today.