Synonyms

transitional

American

[tran-zish-uh-nl, ‐-sish‐] / trænˈzɪʃ ə nl, ‐ˈsɪʃ‐ /

Also transitionary

adjective

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 Word Forms

nontransitional adjective
transitionally adverb

Etymology

Origin of transitional

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Looking back, it seems from a technological standpoint that we were in a really important transitional time going into the ’90s.

From Los Angeles Times

Peterson: I was in such a transitional period of my life — recently divorced, trying to raise my three children and support them all on my own.

From Los Angeles Times

Children who turn 4 by that date are eligible for transitional kindergarten.

From Los Angeles Times

Among Pomona Unified transitional kindergarten teachers, there’s little talk so far about how to approach the Chávez holiday, which state lawmakers are also looking to rename in honor of farmworkers.

From Los Angeles Times

On Wednesday, Downing Street sources highlighted the possibility of introducing "transitional arrangements" which could potentially reduce the 10-year wait for some existing migrants.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023