transitional
adjective
tran·si·tion·al
tran(t)-ˈsi-sh(ə-)nəl 
tran(t)-ˈsi-zh(ə-)nəl,
tran-ˈzi-sh(ə-)nəl
: marked by transition : involving, providing, or consisting of a passage, movement, or change from one state, condition, subject, place, etc., to another
a transitional passage in music
They are often transitional areas between water environments and dry land, and are populated by many trees and plants that can put up with the occasional flood …—
JoAnn Shroyer
JoAnn ShroyerThe social worlds of neighborhood and village are now less important as transitional zones between home and nonhome settings.—Theano S. Terkenli
Theano S. Terkenli… turning into a civilian coup, that … established a transitional government and prepared the way for multi-party elections.—Larry Diamond
Larry Diamond… an animal about the size of a turkey that they contend was a flightless bird, a transitional figure between some carnivorous dinosaurs and modern birds.—John Noble Wilford
John Noble Wilford
transitionally
adverb
The problem then is to structure a sequence of reforms that is politically consistent with the social mores of the Soviet Union, economically coherent, and transitionally sound …
—Edgar L. Feige
Edgar L. Feige
Examples of transitional in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Randrianirina later told reporters a committee led by the military would rule the country for a period of up to two years alongside a transitional government before organizing new elections.
—CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2025
The initial plan also outlined the proposal for a temporary transitional government body to oversee Gaza’s day-to-day public services.
—Callum Sutherland, Time, 14 Oct. 2025
The 51-year-old Rajoelina first came to prominence as the leader of a transitional government following the 2009 coup that forced then-President Marc Ravalomanana to flee the country and lose power.
—NPR, 13 Oct. 2025
The majority of active shelter licenses for transitional and rehabilitation homes in Jefferson County are located in the West End and around Old Louisville, frustrating residents who say the homes are overwhelming their neighborhoods.
—Keely Doll, Louisville Courier Journal, 13 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for transitional
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CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2025
The initial plan also outlined the proposal for a temporary transitional government body to oversee Gaza’s day-to-day public services.
—Callum Sutherland, Time, 14 Oct. 2025
The 51-year-old Rajoelina first came to prominence as the leader of a transitional government following the 2009 coup that forced then-President Marc Ravalomanana to flee the country and lose power.
—NPR, 13 Oct. 2025
The majority of active shelter licenses for transitional and rehabilitation homes in Jefferson County are located in the West End and around Old Louisville, frustrating residents who say the homes are overwhelming their neighborhoods.
—Keely Doll, Louisville Courier Journal, 13 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for transitional
Cite this Entry
“Transitional.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/transitional. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.
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