Provisional means temporary or not yet final. When something is provisional, it's set up to work for now but might change later once more information comes in or better arrangements can be made.

A school might announce provisional class schedules at the start of the year, knowing they'll adjust them once they see how many students sign up for each course. A doctor might make a provisional diagnosis based on initial symptoms, planning to run more tests before confirming what's actually wrong. Scientists often publish provisional findings, being upfront that their conclusions might shift as they gather more data.

Something provisional is like a placeholder: it gives you what you need right now while you work toward something more permanent.

When a government faces a crisis, it might set up a provisional leader to keep things running until proper elections can be held. When you're planning a camping trip, you might make provisional plans for Saturday, knowing you'll need to check the weather forecast before committing.

Understanding that something is provisional helps set proper expectations. It means, “This is our best answer for now, but stay flexible.”