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
Just as the knits, outerwear, and other transitional staples get stashed away into bins and storage units, the boots and lug-sole footwear are traded for easy, breezy flip-flops, classic sandals, loafers—and now, the soft ballet flat.
—Cortne Bonilla, Vogue, 28 Apr. 2025
There are plenty of statistical indicators that suggest otherwise, not least the fact that the team’s fast break attacks have plummeted after a spike early in the Italian’s tenure:
During that period of relatively direct, transitional football, Maresca’s unease was palpable.
—Liam Twomey, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2025
The facility will also include a transitional living apartment that simulates a residential environment, where patients can practice daily living tasks in preparation for a smooth transition back home.
—Anne Gelhaus, Mercury News, 27 Apr. 2025
Jaime Arturo Carrillo, 48, of South Los Angeles, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to one count of the same charge after FEMA granted him transitional sheltering assistance amounting to over $2,000.
—Kaitlyn Huamani, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for transitional
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Cortne Bonilla, Vogue, 28 Apr. 2025
There are plenty of statistical indicators that suggest otherwise, not least the fact that the team’s fast break attacks have plummeted after a spike early in the Italian’s tenure:
During that period of relatively direct, transitional football, Maresca’s unease was palpable.
—Liam Twomey, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2025
The facility will also include a transitional living apartment that simulates a residential environment, where patients can practice daily living tasks in preparation for a smooth transition back home.
—Anne Gelhaus, Mercury News, 27 Apr. 2025
Jaime Arturo Carrillo, 48, of South Los Angeles, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to one count of the same charge after FEMA granted him transitional sheltering assistance amounting to over $2,000.
—Kaitlyn Huamani, Los Angeles Times, 26 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 2 May. 2025.
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