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 actor has spent the first few days of 2026 rotating through her chilly season clothing capsule, and tentatively testing out trends too.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 9 Jan. 2026
The Kansas Department of Transportation’s improvements on I-35 is tentatively set to begin later this year and construction on Santa Fe is scheduled to begin in late 2027.
—Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 9 Jan. 2026
Ellis had tentatively set a hearing on permanent injunction for March.
—Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2026
This extends to her longtime silence around her home life, tentatively broken in 2013.
—Daniel D'addario, Variety, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tentatively
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Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 9 Jan. 2026
The Kansas Department of Transportation’s improvements on I-35 is tentatively set to begin later this year and construction on Santa Fe is scheduled to begin in late 2027.
—Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 9 Jan. 2026
Ellis had tentatively set a hearing on permanent injunction for March.
—Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 8 Jan. 2026
This extends to her longtime silence around her home life, tentatively broken in 2013.
—Daniel D'addario, Variety, 7 Jan. 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 21 Jan. 2026.
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