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
Johnson has sat on the board for 16 years, according to past reporting
East Aurora is indeed in a transitional stage with regards to its leadership.
—Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 8 May 2025
While some elements—particularly those addressing graduate education costs and institutional accountability—have merit, the package as currently constituted lacks sufficient safeguards and transitional provisions to protect vulnerable students and institutions.
—Scott White, Forbes.com, 7 May 2025
Slot has succeeded in making Liverpool games less transitional, and their number of counter-attacks has fallen in turn by about three per game.
—Mark Carey, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
April may be a time of transitional weather, but that didn’t stop some of our favorite celebrities from stepping out in full fashion force.
—Averi Baudler, People.com, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for transitional
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Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 8 May 2025
While some elements—particularly those addressing graduate education costs and institutional accountability—have merit, the package as currently constituted lacks sufficient safeguards and transitional provisions to protect vulnerable students and institutions.
—Scott White, Forbes.com, 7 May 2025
Slot has succeeded in making Liverpool games less transitional, and their number of counter-attacks has fallen in turn by about three per game.
—Mark Carey, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
April may be a time of transitional weather, but that didn’t stop some of our favorite celebrities from stepping out in full fashion force.
—Averi Baudler, People.com, 29 Apr. 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 16 May. 2025.
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