transitional

/trænˈzɪʃɪnəl/

/trænˈzɪʃɪnəl/

Sometimes people who have been laid off from their old jobs and haven’t been able to find new ones say they are in a transitional period. In other words, they are in the middle of a change.

The adjective transitional relates to things such as governments, office spaces, or aspects of one’s life that are in the process of changing. This is a temporary state, until a permanent solution is established, and the word is often used with a sense of hope. For example, when someone goes through a romantic breakup and is hoping to find someone new, she might also say she is in a transitional phase. A synonym for transitional is interim.

Definitions of transitional

1. adjective

   of or relating to or characterized by transition
   “adolescence is a transitional stage between childhood and adulthood”