tentative

[ten-tuh-tiv]

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.

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 formsten·ta·tive·ly, adverbten·ta·tive·ness, nounnon·ten·ta·tive, adjectivenon·ten·ta·tive·ly, adverbnon·ten·ta·tive·ness, nounpre·ten·ta·tive, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for tentativeness

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

Examples from the Web for tentativeness

Contemporary Examples of 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
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

Historical Examples of tentativeness

The fact that he remained standing imparted a tentativeness to the situation.
The Shadow
Arthur Stringer
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

British Dictionary definitions for tentativeness

tentative

adjective

provisional or experimental; conjectural
hesitant, uncertain, or cautious

Derived Formstentatively, 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

Word Origin and History for tentativeness

tentative

adj.

1580s, from Medieval Latin tentativus "trying, testing," from Latin tentatus, past participle of tentare "to feel, try," (variant of temptare "to feel, try, test"). Related: Tentatively.