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.
“We’ve had some tentative discussions behind the scenes,” McVay said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
Spain and Morocco on Thursday reached a tentative agreement to return migrants who entered Ceuta illegally to Moroccan territory, according to Spain’s Interior Ministry.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
OTTAWA—Canadian producer prices declined in June, marking the first month-over-month drop in five months, after a tentative accord between the U.S. and Iran led to lower energy prices.
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
His manner was not constrained—he had left shyness a long way behind him if he ever had any—but it was restrained: tentative, aloof.
From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin
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.
