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

But while national leaders and diplomats work to free up crucial waterways through which much of the world’s trade passes, another transport phenomenon is tentatively underway. — Firmesk Rahim, The Conversation, 5 Aug. 2026

Starship’s upcoming 14th test flight is tentatively slated for some time in late August. — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 5 Aug. 2026

His new trial on the murder charges is tentatively scheduled to begin on April 5, 2027. — Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 5 Aug. 2026

Getting your experience and results on the table early, and resisting the impulse to frame things tentatively, is a reasonable response to that dynamic. — Andy Molinsky, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

tentative entry 1 + -ly entry 2

First Known Use

1819, in the meaning defined above