I. ˈtentəd.iv, -ətiv adjective
Etymology: Medieval Latin tentativus, from Latin tentatus (past participle of tentare to feel, attempt, tempt) + -ivus -ive — more at tempt
1.
a. : of the nature of an experiment or hypothesis : offered, undertaken, or arrived at as a first step : provisional
for him all questions are open, all assumptions tentative — Walter Moberly
b. : offered or given for the time being : subject to change or withdrawal : not final
a tentative program
a tentative acceptance
a tentative refusal
2. : hesitant , uncertain
a sort of tentative , almost apologetic smile — R.P.Warren
made his voice tentative — Jean Stafford
his speech is jerky and tentative — Walter Bernstein
• ten·ta·tive·ly -ə̇vlē, -li adverb
• ten·ta·tive·ness -ivnə̇s noun -es
II. noun
( -s )
: a tentative undertaking, experiment, or offer
the few surviving scraps of notes … are crammed with story tentatives — Jay Leyda