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

Low piano notes gather tentatively; sostenuto woodwinds hover just above ground level; a rainstick adds contour and shading. — Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 13 July 2026

Beulah residents will tentatively be allowed to return home starting Monday, fire officials said. — Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 12 July 2026

Still furious at her mother, Natalie tentatively chooses to believe Cady but takes a gun along just in case, which turns out to be another lamentable decision. — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 10 July 2026

As part of the application process, the City Council tentatively approved using $1 million from the housing trust fund. — Daniel I. Dorfman, Chicago Tribune, 10 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

tentative entry 1 + -ly entry 2

First Known Use

1819, in the meaning defined above