tentatively

adverb

ten·​ta·​tive·​ly ˈten-tə-tiv-lē 

: 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

Recent Examples on the Web

Another was more straightforwardly hopeful, expressing a wish to see Iran progress in the tournament and a belief that success on the pitch might, however tentatively, cut across political divisions. —Shirvin Zeinalzadeh, The Conversation, 11 June 2026

Officials are tentatively discussing setting the zone on Main Street between Second and Romeo streets. —Terell Bailey, CBS News, 6 June 2026

The planning commission is tentatively scheduled to consider the changes in July. —Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 1 June 2026

The Lottery tentatively plans to begin offering some of its products online and through its app this summer, marking another expansion of the state’s gaming ecosystem. —Editorial, Boston Herald, 31 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

tentative entry 1 + -ly entry 2

First Known Use

1819, in the meaning defined above