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

The social worlds of neighborhood and village are now less important as transitional zones between home and nonhome settings.

—Theano S. Terkenli

… turning into a civilian coup, that … established a transitional government and prepared the way for multi-party elections.

—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

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

Examples of transitional in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

That includes blistering winds, snowy mornings, and late-night temperature drops that require a new level of layering techniques and transitional separates to survive unscathed. —Cortne Bonilla, Vogue, 5 Nov. 2024

The nonprofit also provides a 24-hour hotline, emergency shelter, walk-in centers, transitional housing, counseling programs, legal advocacy, community education and prevention services. —Samantha Gowen, Orange County Register, 4 Nov. 2024

Packing for travel in transitional seasons is tricky, and strategizing with layers is key. —Talia Ergas, Travel + Leisure, 4 Nov. 2024

With classic color options and gold button detailing, this transitional staple is the definition of chic. —Claire Rutter, Rolling Stone, 31 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1819, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

transitional

adjective

tran·​si·​tion·​al

-ˈish-nəl, -ˈizh-ən-ᵊl

1

: of, relating to, or characterized by transition

2

: of, relating to, or being epithelium (as in the urinary bladder) that consists of several layers of soft cuboidal cells which become flattened when stretched (as when the bladder is distended)