Provisory

Provisory is an adjective meaning temporary or conditional, especially in the sense of something kept in place for a short time until a final arrangement is made. It is commonly used for measures, arrangements, or conditions that are not yet final, acting as an interim or provisional state. In modern everyday English, provisional is far more common, and provisory appears mainly in historical, legal, or formal writing.

Usage notes and context

- In legal language, provisory often appears in older texts or scholarly works to describe orders, judgments, or conditions that are temporarily in effect.

- In contemporary prose, practitioners tend to use provisional to convey a temporary status, reserving provisory for stylistic or historical contexts.

- Related terms include proviso (a condition or stipulation) and provisional (the adjective form most widely used to indicate temporary status).

Etymology

Provisory derives from Latin roots related to provision and proviso, passing into English via Old French. The sense centers on provision or condition that enables temporary continuation pending final action or approval.

Examples

- The court issued a provisory injunction pending the full hearing.

- A provisory agreement was signed, with terms to be finalized later.

- The treaty includes provisory clauses that become binding only if certain conditions are met.

See also

Proviso, provisional, provisional order, provisional injunction. Provisory is a relatively rare or archaic variant; in most modern texts, provisional is preferred for describing temporary measures.