tenuous

Tenuous is an adjective with several related senses. It most commonly means very weak or slight, lacking a strong basis or support, or not sturdy or substantial. It can describe physical objects that are flimsy or insubstantial, as well as abstract things such as arguments, connections, or expectations that are uncertain or precarious.

Originating from Latin tenuis meaning thin or slender, the term arrived in English through Old French and Middle English. The sense "thin, attenuated" extended to "insubstantial" by analogy, yielding the figurative uses common in contemporary writing.

Common collocations include tenuous thread, tenuous link, tenuous grip, tenuous justification, and tenuous evidence. In scientific contexts, tenuous can describe low density or weak interactions, such as a tenuous atmosphere or a tenuous bond between molecules. It often implies that something could easily break or fail.

Usage notes: tenuous emphasizes lack of reliability or foundation rather than mere fragility. It tends to convey uncertainty or risk rather than outright falsehood. The term is milder than dubious or questionable, but it can suggest that a connection or claim is precarious and likely to be undermined. The opposite of tenuous is tenable or well founded.

Tenuousness is the related noun form, used to describe the state of being tenuous or a lack of solidity.