tentative en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- /ˈtɛntəhɪf/ Dublin
- (Southern-England) audio
- /ˈtɛntəʔɪf/ Dublin
- /ˈtɛntətɪv/
Etymology
From Medieval Latin tentātīvus (“trying, testing”), from tentō, past participle tentātus (“to try, test”); see tent, tempt.
Meanings
- Of or pertaining to a trial or trials; essaying; experimental.
-
Uncertain; subject to future change.
He gave a tentative answer, unsure of the final outcome.
Meanwhile, a bunch of hungry directors with digital cameras, time on their hands and not much money are making free-form studies about tentative hookups and long conversations among actual, overeducated, undermotivated young folks.
2009 May 3, Manohla Dargis, A. O. Scott, “Memos to Hollywood”, in The New York Times:We have a tentative plan for the weekend, but nothing is confirmed yet.
Hegseth's reference to the report being "low confidence" suggest it is tentative and its findings may change as more detail emerges.
2025 June 25, Rachel Hagan, “Trump pushes back after leaked report suggests Iran strikes had limited impact”, in BBC News:
-
Restrained; polite; feeling one's way, not using full force.
Her tentative steps showed her nervousness as she entered the room.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| most tentative | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| more tentative | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic |
Antonyms
conclusive (antonym(s) of “subject to future change”) · certain (antonym(s) of “subject to future change”) · definitive (antonym(s) of “subject to future change”)
Deriveds
pretentative · tentative wound · tentatively · tentativeness
Translations (96)
de tastend (restrained) · ru предположи́тельный (uncertain) · de Versuchs- (of or pertaining to a trial or trials; essaying; experimental) · no foreløpig (uncertain) · fr provisoire (uncertain) · id tentatif (uncertain) · bg несигурен (uncertain) · de unverbindlich (uncertain) · de Vor- (of or pertaining to a trial or trials; essaying; experimental) · tr deneme (of or pertaining to a trial or trials; essaying; experimental) · ru вре́менный (uncertain) · fi epävarma (uncertain) · hu kísérleti (of or pertaining to a trial or trials; essaying; experimental) · hu bátortalan (uncertain) · hu habozó (uncertain) · sh pokusni (of or pertaining to a trial or trials; essaying; experimental) · de experimentell (of or pertaining to a trial or trials; essaying; experimental) · de provisorisch (uncertain) · de zurückhaltend (restrained) · bg експериментален (of or pertaining to a trial or trials; essaying; experimental) · es provisional (of or pertaining to a trial or trials; essaying; experimental) · hy փորձարարական (of or pertaining to a trial or trials; essaying; experimental) · no tentativ (uncertain) · sl poskusen (of or pertaining to a trial or trials; essaying; experimental) · sv preliminär (uncertain) · hy փորձնական (of or pertaining to a trial or trials; essaying; experimental) · sl provizoričen (of or pertaining to a trial or trials; essaying; experimental) · et esialgne (of or pertaining to a trial or trials; essaying; experimental) · es tentativo (of or pertaining to a trial or trials; essaying; experimental) · et kõhklev (uncertain) · es provisorio (uncertain) · hu próba- (of or pertaining to a trial or trials; essaying; experimental) · bg пробен (of or pertaining to a trial or trials; essaying; experimental) · pl prowizoryczny (uncertain) · ru предполага́емый (uncertain) · hu óvatos (uncertain) · fi epäröivä (uncertain) · no tentativ (of or pertaining to a trial or trials; essaying; experimental) · cs provizorní (uncertain) · az eksperimental (of or pertaining to a trial or trials; essaying; experimental) · gl preliminar (uncertain) · tr deneme niteliğinde (of or pertaining to a trial or trials; essaying; experimental) · fi kokeellinen (of or pertaining to a trial or trials; essaying; experimental) · hu bizonytalan (uncertain) · de vorläufig (of or pertaining to a trial or trials; essaying; experimental) · pl prowizoryczny (of or pertaining to a trial or trials; essaying; experimental) · sv försöks- (of or pertaining to a trial or trials; essaying; experimental) · sh probni (of or pertaining to a trial or trials; essaying; experimental) · pt experimental (of or pertaining to a trial or trials; essaying; experimental) · de vorläufig (uncertain) · no forsøksvis (of or pertaining to a trial or trials; essaying; experimental) · de zögerlich (restrained) · es provisional (uncertain) · hu puhatolózó (restrained) · de Probe- (of or pertaining to a trial or trials; essaying; experimental) · tr deneme kabilinden (of or pertaining to a trial or trials; essaying; experimental) · cs pokusný (of or pertaining to a trial or trials; essaying; experimental) · de zögernd (restrained) · ru о́пытный (of or pertaining to a trial or trials; essaying; experimental) · sh tentativni (of or pertaining to a trial or trials; essaying; experimental) · de vorfühlend (restrained) · fi alustava (of or pertaining to a trial or trials; essaying; experimental) · cs předběžný (uncertain) · es indeciso (uncertain) · es preliminar (uncertain) · ru ориентиро́вочный (uncertain) · de zaghaft (restrained) · ru приме́рный (uncertain) · ko 잠정적 (of or pertaining to a trial or trials; essaying; experimental) · id tentatif (of or pertaining to a trial or trials; essaying; experimental) · ru про́бный (of or pertaining to a trial or trials; essaying; experimental) · fr approximatif (uncertain) · de probierend (of or pertaining to a trial or trials; essaying; experimental) · sh provizorni (of or pertaining to a trial or trials; essaying; experimental) · pl niepewny (uncertain) · sv preliminär (of or pertaining to a trial or trials; essaying; experimental) · et katseline (of or pertaining to a trial or trials; essaying; experimental) · pt provisório (uncertain) · cs nejistý (uncertain) · ru прики́дочный (uncertain) · fi alustava (uncertain) · tr tecrübe (of or pertaining to a trial or trials; essaying; experimental) · de tentativ (uncertain) · gl provisional (uncertain) · ru эксперимента́льный (of or pertaining to a trial or trials; essaying; experimental) · ru предвари́тельный (uncertain) · cs zkušební (of or pertaining to a trial or trials; essaying; experimental) · es de tanteo (of or pertaining to a trial or trials; essaying; experimental) · de provisorisch (of or pertaining to a trial or trials; essaying; experimental) · gl provisorio (uncertain) · hu tapogatózó (restrained) · gl experimental (of or pertaining to a trial or trials; essaying; experimental) · hu tétova (uncertain) · et ebalev (uncertain) · es experimental (of or pertaining to a trial or trials; essaying; experimental) · es tentativo (uncertain)