tentative
Americanadjective
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of the nature of or made or done as a trial, experiment, or attempt; experimental.
a tentative report on her findings.
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unsure; uncertain; not definite or positive; hesitant.
a tentative smile on his face.
adjective
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provisional or experimental; conjectural
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hesitant, uncertain, or cautious
Other Word Forms
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”; see tempt) + -īvus adjective suffix ( see -ive)
Explanation
Choose the adjective tentative to describe something you are unsure or hesitant about. On Monday, you can make tentative plans for the weekend, but it's too early to commit to one party or another. Tentative, from the Latin tentātīvus, "testing, trying," always describes something that is uncertain. If you make a tentative appointment, write it down in pencil, not pen, because it might have to be changed. Here the opposite of tentative is definite or set. If someone gives you a tentative smile or nod, the person feels hesitant or unsure about something. In this case, its opposite is confident.
Vocabulary lists containing tentative
Essential Academic Vocabulary for High School Students, List 4
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The New SAT: Words to Capture Tone
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Monster
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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.
The rise added to signs of resilience, as higher energy costs continue to threaten the country’s tentative economic recovery.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026
Myanmar's military held Suu Kyi in almost total seclusion for five years following the February 2021 coup, which ended a tentative decade-long experiment with democracy.
From Barron's ● Oct. 22, 2026
Sonny and Mallory shared a kiss once, on a class camping trip, but for … reasons, they meet again on tentative terms.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 19, 2026
“Confession” sees him trying out long atrophied dramatic acting muscles, taking a tentative step into Hollywood.
From Salon ● Oct. 18, 2026
Laleh took a tentative sip, holding her tea with both hands.
From "Darius the Great Is Not Okay" by Adib Khorram
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
