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tentative

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

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English

Etymology

From Medieval Latin tentātīvus (trying, testing), from tentō, past participle tentātus (to try, test); see tent, tempt.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈtɛntətɪv/
  • (Dublin) IPA(key): /ˈtɛntəʔɪf/, /ˈtɛntəhɪf/
  • Audio (Southern England):(file)
  • Hyphenation: ten‧ta‧tive

Noun

tentative (plural tentatives)

  1. A trial; an experiment; an attempt.
  2. (Malaysia) A schedule for an event or a programme.

Adjective

tentative (comparative more tentative, superlative most tentative)

  1. Of or pertaining to a trial or trials; essaying; experimental.
  2. Uncertain; subject to future change.
    • 2009 May 3, Manohla Dargis, A. O. Scott, “Memos to Hollywood”, in The New York Times:
      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.
    • 2025 June 25, Rachel Hagan, “Trump pushes back after leaked report suggests Iran strikes had limited impact”, in BBC News:
      Hegseth's reference to the report being "low confidence" suggest it is tentative and its findings may change as more detail emerges.
  3. Restrained; polite; feeling one's way, not using full force.
    (Can we add an example for this sense?)

Antonyms

Derived terms

Translations

Further reading

Anagrams

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French

Etymology

Borrowed from Medieval Latin tentātīva, from tentō (to attempt).

Pronunciation

Noun

tentative f (plural tentatives)

  1. attempt, try, effort (particularly of something difficult or risky)
    1. general senses
      Synonym: essai
      faire une tentative de quelque choseto make an attempt at something
      faire une tentative pour faire quelque chosemake an attempt to do something
      la première tentative avortéethe first aborted attempt
      une deuxième tentative infructueusea second unsuccessful attempt
      résoudre de faire une dernière tentativeresolve to make one last attempt
      des longues années de tentatives échouéeslong years of failed attempts
    2. (law) an attempted infraction of law
      tentative de viol(please add an English translation of this usage example)
      tentative d'enlèvement(please add an English translation of this usage example)
      commettre une tentative d'homicide(please add an English translation of this usage example)
      accusé de la tentative d'assassinat d'un homme politique(please add an English translation of this usage example)
      L'homme en question est suspecté de la tentative de meurtre sur sa femme.(please add an English translation of this usage example)

References

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German

Pronunciation

Adjective

tentative

  1. inflection of tentativ:
    1. strong/mixed nominative/accusative feminine singular
    2. strong nominative/accusative plural
    3. weak nominative all-gender singular
    4. weak accusative feminine/neuter singular

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