tentatives

Tentatives is the plural form of the French noun tentative. In French, une tentative means an attempt or an effort to achieve something. The plural tentatives is used for multiple attempts, in everyday speech as well as in formal writing. The term also appears in legal language, for example in phrases like tentatives de meurtre, meaning attempted murder.

Etymology and form: Tentative derives from the verb tenter, meaning to try or to tempt, which itself comes from Latin tentare. In French, tenter and its derivatives cover both the sense of trying and the sense of being provisional or experimental when used as adjectives (tente, tentative, tentatifs, tentatives). As a noun, tentatives specifically refers to attempts or trials.

Usage and nuance: In French, tentatives emphasize efforts to accomplish a goal, often implying several efforts rather than a single action. The phrase peut mentioner repeated or unsuccessful attempts. In English contexts, tentatives is rarely used outside bilingual or specialized texts; the usual translation is attempts. When used in English as an adjective, the word takes the form tentative, meaning provisional or experimental, as in a tentative schedule or tentative results.

Related terms: The related English noun is attempt or trial; French cognates include tentative (adjective) and tentatives (noun, plural). See also attempted murder, attempt, trial and error, and tentative (as an English adjective).