provisoirement

Provisoirement is a French adverb meaning temporarily or provisionally. It indicates that a state, decision, condition, or arrangement is not permanent and may be revised later. It is used in formal and everyday French to denote a temporary status or measure.

Etymology: The adverb derives from provisoire (provisional), formed with the suffix -ment. Provisoire comes from Latin provisorius, meaning for the time being or regarding a proviso.

Usage: Provisoirement appears with verbs such as être, rester, être en vigueur, être mis en œuvre, or with phrases introducing a temporary condition. It is common in administrative, legal, journalistic, and bureaucratic language, but is also understood in general speech. It contrasts with définitivement or de façon permanente, indicating a change from temporary to permanent in the future.

Examples:

- La décision est provisoirement suspendue. (The decision is provisionally suspended.)

- La frontière est provisoirement ouverte à des fins humanitaires. (The border is temporarily open for humanitarian purposes.)

- Le document est provisoirement indisponible en ligne. (The document is provisionally unavailable online.)

Translations: In English, provisoirement is most often translated as provisionally or temporarily; the sense of temporary status is key, while provisoirement can sometimes be rendered as “provisionally.”