Tentative

Tentative is an adjective used to describe something not yet fully developed, verified, or certain, or to indicate a hesitant or cautious manner. It is commonly applied to plans, conclusions, or steps that may change with new information. When used for conclusions or results, the term implies provisional status rather than a final judgment. As a noun, its use is rare and mostly limited to specialized contexts where a provisional plan or arrangement is described, but this noun form is not common in everyday language.

The word derives from Latin tentativus, from tentare, meaning to try or to test, and entered English via Old French in the early modern period. The sense of trial and uncertainty has remained central to its meaning through the centuries.

Usage notes: Tentative often appears with nouns such as plan, schedule, conclusion, result, agreement, or step. In formal writing, it signals that a statement or arrangement is not yet final and may be revised. The adverb form, tentatively, is used to describe how actions are carried out or how statements are offered, as in “they spoke tentatively” or “the results were tentatively consistent with the hypothesis.” Overuse can convey hedging or lack of confidence, so writers may choose more definitive terms when appropriate.

Synonyms include provisional, conditional, experimental, and exploratory; antonyms include definite, certain, conclusive, and firm. The term is common in business, science, and scholarly discourse where provisional status must be clearly communicated.