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
Rick RiordanOnce upon a time, tech titans would tentatively suggest, "Our technology can improve your life" …—Kentaro Toyama
Kentaro ToyamaThe network has announced a new series, tentatively titled The Fashion Show …—Lyndon Stambler
Lyndon StamblerExamples of tentatively in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The organization would have 24 months to complete construction and would be tentatively expected to open in 2028.
—Lauren Crawford, CBS News, 25 Feb. 2026
Videos of the shy and utterly adorable Punch tentatively circling the larger monkeys, only to flee to the solace of his stuffy after being rebuffed, have drawn increasingly large crowds to the zoo and mesmerized millions on social media.
—Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 21 Feb. 2026
Artemis 2 is tentatively aiming for a launch window as early as March 6.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 20 Feb. 2026
Only a wreck or oddly conservative run could take them off the medal stand and Shiffrin skied tentatively, leaving the Americans fourth.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tentatively
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Lauren Crawford, CBS News, 25 Feb. 2026
Videos of the shy and utterly adorable Punch tentatively circling the larger monkeys, only to flee to the solace of his stuffy after being rebuffed, have drawn increasingly large crowds to the zoo and mesmerized millions on social media.
—Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 21 Feb. 2026
Artemis 2 is tentatively aiming for a launch window as early as March 6.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 20 Feb. 2026
Only a wreck or oddly conservative run could take them off the medal stand and Shiffrin skied tentatively, leaving the Americans fourth.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tentatively
Cite this Entry
“Tentatively.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tentatively. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
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