definitions

tentative

[ ten-tuh-tiv ]
/ ˈtɛn tə tɪv /
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR tentative ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

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.

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RELATED WORDS

delay, delaying, doubt, dubiety, equivocation, fluctuation, hesitancy, indecision, indecisiveness, indisposition, irresolution, misgiving, mistrust, oscillation, pause, qualm, reluctance, scruple, shilly-shally, skepticism

Nearby words

tent trailer, tentacle, tentacled, tentage, tentation, tentative, tented, tenter, tenterhook, tenterhooks, tenth

Origin of tentative

1580–90; < Medieval Latin tentātīvus, equivalent to Latin tentāt(us) (past participle of tentāre, variant of temptāre to test; see tempt) + -īvus -ive

Related forms

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for tentativeness

  • In Libya, the crisis of American tentativeness has grown worse almost by the day.

    Obama's Middle East Head Spin|Christopher Dickey, John Barry|April 22, 2011|DAILY BEAST

  • But in Libya the crisis of American tentativeness has grown worse almost by the day.

    Obama's Middle East Head Spin|Christopher Dickey, John Barry|April 22, 2011|DAILY BEAST

  • Lute's eyes were quizzical as she asked with a tentativeness that was palpably assumed, "With—a—with Mr. Barton?"

    Moon-Face and Other Stories|Jack London

  • The fact that he remained standing imparted a tentativeness to the situation.

    The Shadow|Arthur Stringer

British Dictionary definitions for tentativeness

tentative

/ (ˈtɛntətɪv) /

adjective

provisional or experimental; conjectural
hesitant, uncertain, or cautious

Derived Forms

tentatively, adverbtentativeness, noun

Word Origin for tentative

C16: from Medieval Latin tentātīvus, from Latin tentāre to test
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012