tentatively

adverb

ten·ta·tive·ly ˈten-tə-tiv-lē

Synonyms of tentatively

: with hesitancy or uncertainty : in a tentative manner

He tentatively agreed to the deal.

Sliding along beside me was a five-foot-long mako shark … . Tentatively, I touched its dorsal fin.—Rick Riordan

Once upon a time, tech titans would tentatively suggest, "Our technology can improve your life" …—Kentaro Toyama

The network has announced a new series, tentatively titled The Fashion Show …—Lyndon Stambler

Examples of tentatively in a Sentence

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Marked by restless lines, these works depict a woman tentatively emerging from a cocoon in a ritual of transformation and emancipation. — Tatiane De Assis, ARTnews.com, 21 Oct. 2026 Ned Davis Research thematic strategist Pat Tschosik notes his firm's proprietary market-breadth reading Big Mo Tape tentatively turning higher from oversold readings. — Michael Santoli, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2026 Construction is tentatively scheduled to begin in spring 2027 and finish the following fall, according to the staff report. — Camryn Dadey, Sacbee.com, 20 Oct. 2026 By then, the officer had gathered enough information to tentatively identify him and found a 2008 Ford Escape registered to his name in Michigan. — Paula Wethington, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tentatively

Word History

Etymology

tentative entry 1 + -ly entry 2

First Known Use

1819, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of tentatively was in 1819

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tentative

tentatively

tentativeness

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Style

“Tentatively.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tentatively. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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tentatively

adverb

Examples of tentatively in a Sentence

Word History

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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