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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The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 6
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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.
Their eventual detente turns into something more meaningful for both of them, and Wikstrom and Angelo exercise the perfect amount of restraint to make their characters’ tentative friendship believable.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
The drop in producer prices followed a tentative June agreement between the U.S. and Iran to halt military actions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
At its June meeting, just after a tentative agreement to re-open the Strait of Hormuz, the Bank held interest rates, but oil prices have since risen.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
That fear receded immediately ahead of the meeting amid a tentative agreement to reopen shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, and oil prices tumbled.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
She took a tentative step into the concrete cube.
From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer
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.
