tentatively
Americanadverb
-
as a trial, experiment, or attempt.
Our next meeting is tentatively scheduled for the 8th of June.
-
in a hesitant or uncertain manner.
She spoke tentatively, but apparently thought better of it and stopped.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of tentatively
Explanation
Tentatively means "hesitantly," like how you go about a delicate or dangerous situation. It also refers to uncertainty, like when you tentatively make plans to go to a party, even though you don't have a ride yet. It makes sense that the English adverb tentatively stems from the Latin tentare, "to feel, try," because to do something tentatively means to test it out. Think of how you slowly wade into a freezing cold pool. You’re moving tentatively, because you know it’s going to be a shock and you want to give your body time to adjust. The opposite of tentatively is certainly, a word that indicates no hesitation.
Vocabulary lists containing tentatively
The Giver
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The Diary of Anne Frank
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A Raisin in the Sun
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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.
He had already been hit on the body and dropped on 26 by Marnus Labuschagne when, stuck on the crease, he edged Boland while pushing tentatively outside off stump.
From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026
Sixteen of the compounds were tentatively identified as flavoalkaloids, providing the first evidence that this rare class of chemicals occurs in Cannabis leaves.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 26, 2026
Global government bond yields fell as oil prices moved lower, helped by tentatively improving risk sentiment over central banks’ commitments to bring inflation back to target and growing oil flow through the Hormuz Strait.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026
Sky-high levies imposed by Washington and matched by Beijing were tentatively relaxed late last year, after a move by China to severely restrict flows of rare earths to the United States.
From Barron's ● Sep. 8, 2026
Once Malia sees that, she tentatively pets Ziggy, too, and she giggles when he licks her back.
From "A Soft Place to Land" by Janae Marks
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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.
