tentativus

Tentativus is a Latin adjective meaning tentative, provisional, or experimental. In classical and medieval Latin, it was used to describe actions, conclusions, or plans that were not yet finalized or that were undertaken as experiments. The word conveys a sense of openness to change pending further evidence or verification.

Etymology and forms: Tentativus derives from the Latin verb tentare, “to try,” with the adjectival suffix -ivus. The masculine nominative form is tentativus, the feminine tentativa, and the neuter tentativum. As with other Latin adjectives, the form agrees with the gender, number, and case of the noun it modifies.

Usage and contexts: In Latin texts, tentativus appears in contexts signaling provisional statements, tentative identifications, or experimental approaches. In modern scholarship, the term survives mainly in linguistic or philological discussions about Latin vocabulary and in descriptions of historical usage. In scientific writing that adopts Latin terminology, the sense of “tentative” may inform discussions of provisional classifications or hypotheses, though contemporary practice often favors explicit phrases like “tentative identification” rather than deploying tentativus as a stand-alone designation.

Relation to English: The English word tentative is etymologically derived from tentativus, passing through French and other intermediaries. In English usage, tentative emphasizes uncertainty and provisional status, but the direct Latin form tentativus is rarely used outside Latin phrases or discussions of linguistic history.

See also: Latin grammar, Latin adjectives, tentare, tentative.