-shən ə l, -shnəl adjective
1. : of, relating to, or characterized by transition
at this transitional point of its nightly roll into darkness — Thomas Hardy
the Sudan is transitional between the hot desert … and the tropical rainy lands — D.D.Crary
transitional between gothic and roman — J.C.Tarr
this transitional stage has become terminal in some races — Weston La Barre
an effective transitional passage … which leads to the entry of the second subject — Dyneley Hussey
2. usually capitalized
a. : mesolithic
b. : of or relating to Maya culture of the period A.D. 900-987 and overlapping and following the final stages of the Old Empire period
• tran·si·tion·al·ly -shən ə lē, -shnəl-, -i adverb