tentative

From Medieval Latin tentātīvus (“trying, testing”), from tentō, past participle tentātus (“to try, test”); see tent, tempt.

• IPA^(key): /ˈtɛntətɪv/
• (Dublin) IPA^(key): /ˈtɛntəʔɪf/, /ˈtɛntəhɪf/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Hyphenation: ten‧ta‧tive

tentative (plural tentatives)

1. A trial; an experiment; an attempt.
2. (Malaysia) A schedule for an event or a programme.

tentative (comparative more tentative, superlative most tentative)

1. Of or pertaining to a trial or trials; essaying; experimental.
2. Uncertain; subject to future change.
   • 2009 May 3, Manohla Dargis, A. O. Scott, “Memos to Hollywood”, in The New York Times‎^[1]:

     Meanwhile, a bunch of hungry directors with digital cameras, time on their hands and not much money are making free-form studies about tentative hookups and long conversations among actual, overeducated, undermotivated young folks.

   • 2025 June 25, Rachel Hagan, “Trump pushes back after leaked report suggests Iran strikes had limited impact”, in BBC News‎^[2]:

     Hegseth's reference to the report being "low confidence" suggest it is tentative and its findings may change as more detail emerges.

3. Restrained; polite; feeling one's way, not using full force.

   (Can we add an example for this sense?)

• (antonym(s) of “subject to future change”): conclusive, definitive, certain

• “tentative”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “tentative”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.

• attentive

Borrowed from Medieval Latin tentātīva, from tentō (“to attempt”).

• IPA^(key): /tɑ̃.ta.tiv/

• Audio:

  (file)

tentative f (plural tentatives)

1. attempt, try, effort (particularly of something difficult or risky)
   1. general senses

      Synonym: essai

      faire une tentative de quelque chose ― to make an attempt at something

      faire une tentative pour faire quelque chose ― make an attempt to do something

      la première tentative avortée ― the first aborted attempt

      une deuxième tentative infructueuse ― a second unsuccessful attempt

      résoudre de faire une dernière tentative ― resolve to make one last attempt

      des longues années de tentatives échouées ― long years of failed attempts

   2. (law) an attempted infraction of law

      tentative de viol ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

      tentative d'enlèvement ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

      commettre une tentative d'homicide ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

      accusé de la tentative d'assassinat d'un homme politique ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

      L'homme en question est suspecté de la tentative de meurtre sur sa femme. ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

• tenter

• “tentative”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

• Audio:

  (file)

tentative

1. inflection of tentativ:
   1. strong/mixed nominative/accusative feminine singular
   2. strong nominative/accusative plural
   3. weak nominative all-gender singular
   4. weak accusative feminine/neuter singular