tentative

[ten-tuh-tiv]

adjective

1. of the nature of or made or done as a trial, experiment, or attempt; experimental.

   a tentative report on her findings.

2. unsure; uncertain; not definite or positive; hesitant.

   a tentative smile on his face.

tentative

/ ˈtɛntətɪv /

adjective

1. provisional or experimental; conjectural

2. hesitant, uncertain, or cautious

Other Word Forms

• tentatively adverb
• tentativeness noun
• nontentative adjective
• nontentativeness noun
• pretentative adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of tentative¹

First recorded in 1580–90; from Medieval Latin tentātīvus, equivalent to Latin tentāt(us) (past participle of tentāre, variant of temptāre “to test”; tempt ) + -īvus adjective suffix ( -ive )

Word History and Origins

Origin of tentative¹

C16: from Medieval Latin tentātīvus, from Latin tentāre to test

Example Sentences

As I recovered, regaining trust in my body was hard — progress felt so tentative, and the fear of regression was so stark.

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That star June Squibb’s warm, humorous and slightly spiky performance elevates the wobbly material and tentative direction.

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"One has to be particularly tentative about the the timing estimates, because those are very difficult to do, regardless of what evidence you're looking at, be that genetic or fossil evidence," he said.

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As of Sep. 16, the Department of Homeland Security said it has sent out more than 18,000 tentative job offers after a summer recruitment campaign that drew more than 150,000 applications.

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An ode to tentative yet powerful romantic tension, it is known for its saxophone solo - an instrument Dave also learned to play.

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Related Words

• cautious 
• hesitant 
• reluctant 
• timid 
• unsure 
• wobbly