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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
Noun
tentative (plural tentatives)
Adjective
tentative (comparative more tentative, superlative most tentative)
- Of or pertaining to a trial or trials; essaying; experimental.
- 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.
- Restrained; polite; feeling one's way, not using full force.
- (Can we add an example for this sense?)
Antonyms
- (antonym(s) of “subject to future change”): conclusive, definitive, certain
Derived terms
Translations
of or pertaining to a trial or trials; essaying; experimental
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uncertain
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Further reading
- “tentative”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
- William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “tentative”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.
Anagrams
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French
Etymology
Borrowed from Medieval Latin tentātīva, from tentō (“to attempt”).
Pronunciation
Noun
tentative f (plural tentatives)
- attempt, try, effort (particularly of something difficult or risky)
- general senses
- Synonym: essai
- faire une tentative de quelque chose ― to make an attempt at something
- faire une tentative pour faire quelque chose ― make an attempt to do something
- la première tentative avortée ― the first aborted attempt
- une deuxième tentative infructueuse ― a second unsuccessful attempt
- résoudre de faire une dernière tentative ― resolve to make one last attempt
- des longues années de tentatives échouées ― long years of failed attempts
- (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)
- general senses
Related terms
References
- “tentative”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
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German
Pronunciation
Audio: (file)
Adjective
tentative
- inflection of tentativ:
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