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 In an email after the FAA announcement, SpaceX said the test is tentatively scheduled for a two-hour window that opens at 8 a.m. Christian Davenport, Washington Post, 15 Nov. 2023 Paramount also announced two spinoffs, a prequel tentatively called 1944 and a sequel to the current series, called 2024. Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 2 Nov. 2023 After tentatively approaching the maiden, the unicorn lays its head in the maiden's lap and falls asleep. Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 30 Oct. 2023 City council tentatively approved a plan to earmark up to $300,000 toward the new initiative, which might also include contributions from three other East County cities. Lauren J. Mapp, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Oct. 2023 The film is tentatively scheduled for theatrical release in Germany Jan. 18 by Leonine Studios. Leo Barraclough, Variety, 31 Oct. 2023 The driver of a white SUV just off campus tentatively rolled down his window to reveal five hungry students packed inside. Alex Seitz-Wald, NBC News, 27 Oct. 2023 Made in the 1960s, one side shows an unfinished sketch of a man, while the other is a sea of blackness out of which a figure tentatively emerges — rendered as negative space. New York Times, 26 Oct. 2023 The scholar tentatively dated it from 1347 to 1354. Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tentatively.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1819, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tentatively was in 1819

Dictionary Entries Near tentatively

Cite this Entry

“Tentatively.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tentatively. Accessed 6 Dec. 2023.

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