tentative

[ ten-tuh-tiv ]

/ ˈtɛn tə tɪv /

SEE 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

OTHER WORDS FROM tentative

ten·ta·tive·ly, adverb ten·ta·tive·ness, noun non·ten·ta·tive, adjective non·ten·ta·tive·ly, adverb

non·ten·ta·tive·ness, noun pre·ten·ta·tive, adjective

Words nearby tentative

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

Example sentences from the Web for tentatively

Three decades later, the EEGs of distance-separated twins were studied and tentatively found to correlate.

Knocking on Heaven's Door: True Stories of Unexplained, Uncanny Experiences at the Hour of Death |Patricia Pearson |August 11, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
The efforts are proceeding slowly and tentatively because the price differential of the fuel is only one factor to consider.

Diesel Trains May Soon Use Natural Gas Instead |The Daily Beast |May 27, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
He tentatively suggested that the text is a pastiche compiled by a modern forger with an elementary grasp of Coptic.

The ‘Gospel of Jesus’s Wife’ is Still as Big a Mystery as Ever |Candida Moss |April 13, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Most evangelical colleges teach evolution, albeit quietly, carefully, and often tentatively, although there are exceptions.

2013 Was a Terrible Year for Evolution |Karl W. Giberson |January 2, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

Brosnahan called Lopez three days later and told him he tentatively had a match.

Lost and Found in Tijuana: Behind an Amazing American Rescue |Christine Pelisek |September 26, 2013 |DAILY BEAST
Tentatively he pulled at the container cover, it was as firm as if it had been welded on.

Warning from the Stars |Ron Cocking
She felt as though life were tentatively loaning her something which would be taken away after a time.

Jennie Gerhardt |Theodore Dreiser
"But Mademoiselle Madeleine is rather a handsome girl," he observed, tentatively.

Mlle. Fouchette |Charles Theodore Murray
"There's a poem called 'A Leave-taking,'" said he, tentatively, at length.

The Boss of Taroomba |E. W. Hornung
Tentatively, he pushed a slide he remembered touching before.

The Worshippers |Damon Francis Knight

British Dictionary definitions for tentatively

tentative

/ (ˈtɛntətɪv) /

adjective

provisional or experimental; conjectural

hesitant, uncertain, or cautious

Derived forms of tentative

tentatively, adverb tentativeness, noun

Word Origin for tentative

C16: from Medieval Latin tentātīvus, from Latin tentāre to test

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

tentative

adjective

Origin of tentative

OTHER WORDS FROM tentative

Words nearby tentative

Example sentences from the Web for tentatively

British Dictionary definitions for tentatively

adjective

Derived forms of tentative

Word Origin for tentative

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

tentative

adjective

Origin of tentative

OTHER WORDS FROM tentative

Words nearby tentative

Words related to tentatively

Example sentences from the Web for tentatively

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for tentatively

adjective

Derived forms of tentative

Word Origin for tentative

British Dictionary definitions for tentatively