provisory

1 9.5

Temporary and only true if a condition is met

adjective
/prəˈvɪzəri/

: provisional

They accepted the offer on a provisory basis, with final details to be negotiated later.

Examples

The contract includes a provisory clause that requires yearly review.
His position at the company was provisory pending the outcome of the investigation.
This agreement is provisory.
Don't forget that this agreement is still provisory!
His position at the company was provisory pending the outcome of the investigation.
The contract includes a provisory clause that requires yearly review.
They accepted the offer on a provisory basis, with final details to be negotiated later.

Synonyms

provisional

vsprovisory

56 6.1

Temporary for now and likely to change

depends on a specific condition rather than just being temporary

interlocutory

vsprovisory

Formal

1 9.9

A temporary court decision that is not final

applies more broadly not limited to legal temporary orders

How Conditional

conditional

29 5.0

provisory

1 9.5

provisional

56 6.1

unconditional

71 4.4

Surface Forms

provisory positive

Morphology

provisory = proviso (transparent) = proviso + ory

Meaning is directly derived as 'relating to or subject to a proviso' using the productive adjective-forming suffix '-ory'.

Etymology

Provisory comes from the same root as provide, provision, and proviso, which come from Latin words meaning 'to provide' or 'to see ahead'. So a provisory arrangement is something given 'for now' or that depends on a condition, until a final decision is made.