| Main Entry: | acting |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | substituting in a role |
Synonyms: |
ad interim, adjutant, alternate, assistant, delegated, deputy, interim, pro tem, pro tempore, provisional, surrogate, temporary |
Antonyms: |
permanent |
| Main Entry: | ad hoc |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | for a specific purpose |
Synonyms: |
impromptu, provisional, special, specific, specified |
| Main Entry: | circumstantial |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | incidental |
Synonyms: |
amplified, coincidental, concomitant, concurrent, conjectural, contingent, detailed, environmental, fortuitous, inconclusive, indirect, inferential, presumptive, provisional, uncertain |
Antonyms: |
direct |
| Main Entry: | comparative |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | approximate, close to |
Synonyms: |
allusive, analogous, approaching, by comparison, comparable, conditional, connected, contingent, contrastive, correlative, corresponding, equivalent, in proportion, like, matching, metaphorical, near, not absolute, not positive, parallel, provisional, qualified, related, relative, restricted, rivaling, similar, vying, with reservation |
| Notes: | positive is the ordinary form of a word, with comparative conveying the sense of greater intensity of the adjective and superlative reflecting the greatest intensity of the adjective |
Antonyms: |
unequal, unlike |
| Main Entry: | conditional |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | dependent |
Synonyms: |
codicillary, contingent, depending on, fortuitous, granted on certain terms, guarded, iffy, incidental, inconclusive, limited, modified, not absolute, obscure, provisional, provisory, qualified, relative, reliant, relying on, restricted, restrictive, subject to, tentative, uncertain, with grain of salt, with reservations, with strings attached |
Antonyms: |
independent, unconditional, unlimited, unqualified, unrestricted |
| Main Entry: | empirical/empiric |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | practical; based on experience |
Synonyms: |
experient, experiential, experimental, factual, observational, observed, pragmatic, provisional |
Antonyms: |
hypothetical, impractical, speculative, theoretical, unobserved |
| Main Entry: | experimental |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | exploratory |
Synonyms: |
beginning, developmental, empirical, experiential, first stage, laboratory, momentary, on approval, pilot, preliminary, preparatory, primary, probationary, provisional, speculative, temporary, tentative, test, trial, trial-and-error, unconcluded, under probation, unproved |
Antonyms: |
proven, tested, tried |
| Main Entry: | interim |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | temporary |
Synonyms: |
acting, ad interim, caretaker*, improvised, intervening, makeshift, pro tem, pro tempore, provisional, stopgap, thrown-together |
Antonyms: |
continual, permanent |
| Main Entry: | introductory |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | preliminary, first |
Synonyms: |
anterior, basic, beginning, early, elementary, inaugural, incipient, inductive, initial, initiatory, opening, original, precursory, prefatory, prelusive, preparative, preparatory, primary, prior, proemial, provisional, rudimentary, starting |
Antonyms: |
concluding, ending, final, finishing, last |
| Main Entry: | makeshift |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | temporary |
Synonyms: |
Band-Aid, alternative, expedient, hit-or-miss, make-do, provisional, quick-and-dirty, slapdash, stopgap, substitute, temp, throwaway |
Antonyms: |
complete, finished, permanent, ready |