暫定

• Reading: ざんてい
• Romaji: zantei
• Kanji breakdown: 暫 (zan) — for a while, temporarily; 定 (tei/jō) — fixed, decided, determined
• Pronunciation: /za.ɴ.te.i/

Meaning

Provisional; tentative; temporary; interim. Describes a decision, measure, or status that is not yet finalised and subject to revision.

Used as a noun modifier (暫定の or 暫定的な) before nouns. Frequently appears in legal, political, and administrative contexts: 暫定措置 (interim measures), 暫定予算 (provisional budget), 暫定政権 (caretaker government). The nuance is that the current arrangement is a placeholder pending a permanent resolution, not a stable long-term state.

Examples

1. 正式な規定が整備されるまで、暫定措置として現行の基準を引き続き適用する。 Until formal regulations are established, the current standards will continue to be applied as an interim measure.
2. 新リーダーが選出されるまでの間、副代表が暫定的に職務を代行した。 Until a new leader was elected, the deputy representative temporarily acted in an interim capacity.
3. 暫定予算で運営しながら、次年度に向けた長期計画を策定することになった。 While operating on a provisional budget, plans for the following fiscal year had to be drawn up.

Usage Guide

Context: law, politics, administration, business

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Sino-Japanese compound. 暫 means for a while or temporarily, 定 means fixed or decided. The combination conveys a state of having been decided only for the time being — a deliberate and acknowledged temporariness.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: Adults

Social background: Professional