(a.) Of the nature of a provision; serving as a provision for the time being; -- used of partial or temporary arrangements; as, a provisional government; a provisional treaty.

accidental ad hoc adventitious aleatory alternate alternative backup band-aid casual circumstantial conditional contingent counterfeit cut-and-try dangerous dependent desultory dummy empirical equivalent ersatz experimental fake fixed forehanded foreseeing foresighted forethoughted forethoughtful given hazardous heuristic hit-or-miss imitation improvisational improvised incidental inessential infirm insecure insubstantial interim jury-rigged makeshift makeshifty mock nonessential occasional perilous phony pilot pinch precarious precautional precautionary precautious preparative preparatory prerequisite pro tem probationary probative probatory propaedeutic provident proving provisory proxy qualified reserve risky rough-and-ready rough-and-tumble secondary shaky shifting shifty slippery spare specificative specified stated stipulated stipulatory stopgap substitute temporary tentative test testing ticklish token transitional treacherous trial trial-and-error trying undependable unessential unfaithworthy unreliable unsolid unsound unstable unsteadfast unsteady unsubstantial unsure untrustworthy utility verificatory vicarious