tentative

• POS: Adjective
• HYPHEN: ten=ta=tive

CIDE DICTIONARY

tentative, a. [L. tentare to try: cf. F. tentatif. See Tempt.].

 Of or pertaining to a trial or trials; essaying; experimental.  [1913 Webster]

tentative, n. [Cf. F. tentative.].

 An essay; a trial; an experiment.  Berkley.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

tentative, adj. & n.
--adj.
1 done by way of trial, experimental.
2 hesitant, not definite (tentative suggestion; tentative acceptance).
--n. an experimental proposal or theory.

Derivative

tentatively adv. tentativeness n.

Etymology

med.L tentativus (as TENTACLE)

THESAURUS

tentative

acting, ad hoc, ad interim, alternate, alternative, ambling, analytic, apprehensive, awkward, backup, band-aid, blankminded, callow, canny, careful, cautious, circumspect, claudicant, counterfeit, crawling, creeping, creeping like snail, cut-and-try, dangerous, deliberate, demurring, desultory, determined, diffident, discreet, disinclined, dumb, dummy, easy, empirical, empty, empty-headed, equivalent, ersatz, examinational, examinatorial, examining, experimental, explorational, explorative, exploratory, fact-finding, fake, faltering, feeling, flagging, foot-dragging, gauche, gentle, gingerly, gradual, green, groping, guarded, halting, hazardous, heedful, hesitant, hesitating, heuristic, hit-or-miss, hobbled, hobbling, idle, ignorant, imitation, improvisational, improvised, inane, indagative, indecisive, indolent, inexperienced, infirm, innocent, insecure, inspectional, inspectorial, insubstantial, interim, investigational, investigative, investigatory, irresolute, jibbing, judicious, jury-rigged, know-nothing, languid, languorous, lazy, leaving out nothing, leisurely, limping, lumbering, makeshift, makeshifty, mindful, mock, moderate, naive, nescient, noncommittal, on guard, overlooking no possibility, pawky, perilous, phony, pilot, pinch, poking, poky, politic, precarious, probationary, probative, probatory, proving, provisional, provisory, proxy, prudent, raw, regardful, relaxed, reluctant, reserve, resolute, risky, safe, sauntering, scrupling, secondary, shaky, shifting, shifty, shilly-shallying, shuffling, shy, simple, slack, slippery, slothful, slow, slow as death, slow as molasses, slow as slow, slow to act, slow-crawling, slow-foot, slow-going, slow-legged, slow-moving, slow-paced, slow-poky, slow-running, slow-sailing, slow-stepped, sluggish, snail-paced, snaillike, spare, speculative, staggering, sticking, stickling, stopgap, straining, strange to, strolling, substitute, temporary, test, testing, thorough, ticklish, timid, toddling, token, tortoiselike, tottering, treacherous, trial, trial-and-error, trudging, trying, turtlelike, unacquainted, unadventurous, unapprized, uncertain, uncommunicative, uncomprehending, unconversant, undaring, undependable, uneasy, unenlightened, unenterprising, unfaithworthy, unfamiliar, unhurried, unilluminated, uninformed, uninitiated, unintelligent, unknowing, unposted, unprecipitate, unreliable, unsound, unstable, unsteadfast, unsteady, unsubstantial, unsure, untrustworthy, unversed, utility, vacillatory, vacuous, venturesome, verificatory, vicarious, waddling, willing, wobbly, zetetic

ROGET THESAURUS

tentative

Essay

N essay, trial, endeavor, attempt, aim, struggle, venture, adventure, speculation, coup d'essai, debut, probation, essaying, experimental, tentative, empirical, probationary, experimentally, on trial, at a venture, by rule of thumb, if one may be so bold, aut non tentaris aut perfice, chi non s'arrischia non guadagna.

Experiment

N experiment, essay, analysis, screen, trial, tentative method, t=atonnement, verification, probation, experimentum crucis, proof, (demonstration), criterion, diagnostic, test, probe, crucial test, acid test, litmus test, crucible, reagent, check, touchstone, pix, assay, ordeal, ring, litmus paper, curcuma paper, turmeric paper, test tube, analytical instruments, empiricism, rule of thumb, feeler, trial balloon, pilot balloon, messenger balloon, pilot engine, scout, straw to show the wind, speculation, random shot, leap in the dark, analyzer, analyst, assayist, adventurer, experimenter, experimentist, experimentalist, scientist, engineer, technician, subject, experimentee, guinea pig, experimental animal, protocol, experimental method, blind experiment, double-blind experiment, controlled experiment, poll, survey, opinion poll, epidemiological survey, retrospective analysis, retrospective survey, prospective survey, prospective analysis, statistical analysis, literature search, library research, tryout, audition, discovery, measurement, evidence, deduction, induction, abduction, experimental, empirical, probative, probatory, probationary, provisional, analytic, docimastic, tentative, unverified, unproven, speculative, untested, on trial, under examination, on probation, under probation, on one's trial, on approval, check it out, give it a try, see how it goes, Run it up the flagpole and see who salutes.