tentatively

adverb

ten·​ta·​tive·​ly ˈten-tə-tiv-lē How to pronounce tentatively (audio)
: 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 ShowLyndon Stambler

Examples of tentatively in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Checking every typo, tentatively bringing your offer up in conversation. Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025 What type of traffic impacts would result from the DDI project at I-94 and Highway F? DDI construction at the Highway F bridges over I-94 is tentatively scheduled for early 2028, and the project is still in the design phase. Liliana Fannin, jsonline.com, 7 Aug. 2025 While drifting through his revelatory trip, Sergio tentatively makes friends and lovers, talks to people who either embrace or abhor the possible project, and falls into conversations and confrontations about his place in this world: friend or interloper, lover or enemy? Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 5 Aug. 2025 Prior to last week, former Dallas Cowboys star had been a frequent fixture in videos posted by his son while at their Texas estate, where the elder Sanders went fishing and tentatively enjoyed an ice bath — all the while alluding to his health issues but never offering details. Anna Lazarus Caplan, People.com, 4 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for tentatively

Word History

First Known Use

1819, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tentatively was in 1819

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Cite this Entry

“Tentatively.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tentatively. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.

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