tentative
Americanadjective
-
of the nature of or made or done as a trial, experiment, or attempt; experimental.
a tentative report on her findings.
-
unsure; uncertain; not definite or positive; hesitant.
a tentative smile on his face.
adjective
-
provisional or experimental; conjectural
-
hesitant, uncertain, or cautious
Other Word Forms
- nontentative adjective
- nontentativeness noun
- pretentative adjective
- tentatively adverb
- tentativeness noun
Etymology
Origin of tentative
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 )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
After the beast's eyes had been closed for several minutes, he put out a tentative finger to stroke its head.
From Literature
The intruding ravens were tentative for a while — expecting the eagles to return, according to Voisard.
From Los Angeles Times
Earlier this week, the district reached a tentative agreement with Teamsters Local 572, which represents more than 3,200 workers including school administrative assistants, food services managers and plant managers.
From Los Angeles Times
The Federal Reserve on Wednesday held interest rates steady and signaled little urgency to resume cuts, with Chair Jerome Powell saying recent data pointed to stronger economic growth and tentative signs of labor-market stabilization.
Carney isn’t alone in taking tentative steps to mend ties with China.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
