transitional

[ tran-zish-uh-nl, ‐-sish‐ ]

adjective

1. of or relating to a transition from one position, state, stage, subject, concept, etc., to another: transitional housing for people with serious mental illness.

   transitional governments;

   transitional housing for people with serious mental illness.

Other Words From

• tran·si·tion·al·ly adverb
• non·tran·si·tion·al adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of transitional¹

First recorded in 1670–80; transition ( def ) + -al ¹( def )

Example Sentences

In the era of "liberal peace", an agreement to end a civil war was the drafting of a democratic constitution, along with measures for disarming and demobilising rival armies, transitional justice and reconciliation, and aid-funded programmes to deliver a peace dividend for the afflicted populace.

From BBC

"The acute and immediate needs of the Haitian people mandate that the transitional government prioritize governance over the competing personal interests of political actors," a statement said.

From BBC

"Joe Biden has been a phenomenal president, he has lived up to the promises he made, but there is one promise left to fulfill, being a transitional figure," says Simmons in the closing segment of the show.

From Salon

That’s because he reneged on his 2020 campaign promise to be a transitional president and pass the torch to a younger generation.

From Los Angeles Times

Pep Guardiola’s body language provided compelling evidence that he is now facing the closest thing to a crisis since his transitional first season at Manchester City.

From BBC

Related Words

• capricious
• fickle
• fluctuating
• mercurial
• protean
• shifting
• unpredictable
• unsettled
• unstable
• varying
• volatile