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

The trial is tentatively set for August. — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 23 June 2026

Ouweleen tentatively hopes for a work in progress session to be hosted at next year’s Annecy Festival. — Kambole Campbell, Variety, 26 June 2026

After nine days on strike, workers at Philadelphia's largest unionized hotel have tentatively agreed to a new contract. — Laura Fay, CBS News, 29 June 2026

And Sayer, the officials tentatively believe, is associated with an online fandom group of mass killers that has been linked to previous shootings. — Alex Stone, ABC News, 23 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

tentative entry 1 + -ly entry 2

First Known Use

1819, in the meaning defined above