interim

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. An interval of time between one event, process, or period and another.
2. adj. Belonging to, serving during, or taking place during an intermediate interval of time; temporary: an interim agreement. See Synonyms at temporary.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. In the mean while; meantime.
2. n. The mean time; time intervening.
3. n. A provisional arrangement for the settlement of religious differences between Protestants and Roman Catholics in Germany during the Reformation epoch, pending a definite settlement by a church council. There were three interims: the Ratisbon Interim, promulgated by the emperor Charles V., July 29th, 1541, but ineffective; the Augsburg Interim, proclaimed also by Charles V., May 15th, 1548, but not carried out by many Protestants; and the Leipsic Interim, carried through the diet of Saxony December 22d, 1548, by the efforts of the elector Maurice, and enlarged and published as the Greater Interim in March, 1549; it met with strenuous opposition. Religious toleration was secured for the Lutherans by the peace of Passau, 1552.
4. Belonging to or connected with an intervening period of time; temporary: as, an interim order.
5. n. Something done in an interval.

Wiktionary

1. adj. transitional
2. adj. temporary
3. n. A transitional or temporary period between other events.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. The meantime; time intervening; interval between events, etc.
2. n. A name given to each of three compromises made by the emperor Charles V. of Germany for the sake of harmonizing the connecting opinions of Protestants and Catholics.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. the time between one event, process, or period and another
2. adj. serving during an intermediate interval of time