as in conditional
determined by something else
our plans are only tentative at this point and will depend on whether you can come
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Recent Examples of tentative
But in a news release about this winter's paltry snowpack and tentative meltwater outlook, Acting Reclamation Commissioner Scott Cameron said the agency expects to work with the states.
—
Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 13 Feb. 2026
Dictionary definitions of those phrases boil down to making tentative inquiries or trying something briefly without real commitment.
—Mark Woolsey, AJC.com, 11 Feb. 2026
Happiness, when achieved, is necessarily tentative when felt undeserved.
—Literary Hub, 11 Feb. 2026
Much of the understanding of climate change that was uncertain or tentative in 2009 is now resolved, the panel of scientists said in a September report.
—Matthew Daly, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tentative
Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 13 Feb. 2026
Dictionary definitions of those phrases boil down to making tentative inquiries or trying something briefly without real commitment.
—Mark Woolsey, AJC.com, 11 Feb. 2026
Happiness, when achieved, is necessarily tentative when felt undeserved.
—Literary Hub, 11 Feb. 2026
Much of the understanding of climate change that was uncertain or tentative in 2009 is now resolved, the panel of scientists said in a September report.
—Matthew Daly, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tentative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tentative
Adjective
-
Religious liberty should not be selective or conditional.—
Bobby Zirkin,
Baltimore Sun,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Kim and James Ratcliff have lived next to the property for 25 years and said that WVMA is not following the rules of its current conditional use permit.—
Nollyanne Delacruz,
Mercury News,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
That means advocating for policies that expand opportunity—supporting job creation, workforce training, homeownership, and small businesses—while opposing ideas that keep people dependent or stagnant.—
Rachel Royster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
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As has now been thoroughly documented, these women worked with Epstein expecting modeling or business opportunities that in many cases never materialized, and would often become dependent on him for a visa, housing, or money.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tentative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tentative. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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