tentatively
adverb
ten·ta·tive·ly
ˈten-tə-tiv-lē 
: with hesitancy or uncertainty : in a tentative manner
He tentatively agreed to the deal.
Sliding along beside me was a five-foot-long mako shark …. Tentatively, I touched its dorsal fin.—
Rick Riordan
Rick RiordanOnce upon a time, tech titans would tentatively suggest, "Our technology can improve your life" …—Kentaro Toyama
Kentaro ToyamaThe network has announced a new series, tentatively titled The Fashion Show …—Lyndon Stambler
Lyndon StamblerExamples of tentatively in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
For instance, in Saudi Arabia, where Islam was first established by the prophet Mohammed in the 7th century, that new moon is tentatively expected to be visible on the evening of February 28, and thus Ramadan would begin on Saturday, March 1.
—Forrest Brown, CNN, 27 Feb. 2025
The forthcoming series — which is tentatively titled Boston Blue — was announced earlier this month.
—Bailey Richards, People.com, 25 Feb. 2025
McKenzie started the club’s spring opener Saturday (Allen followed him), and his fastball sat at 93-95 mph, which is a great sign for a guy who pitched tentatively throughout 2024.
—Zack Meisel, The Athletic, 24 Feb. 2025
Boston Blue, as the offshoot is tentatively titled, finds Wahlberg’s Danny Reagan taking a position with the Boston PD.
—Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 18 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tentatively
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Forrest Brown, CNN, 27 Feb. 2025
The forthcoming series — which is tentatively titled Boston Blue — was announced earlier this month.
—Bailey Richards, People.com, 25 Feb. 2025
McKenzie started the club’s spring opener Saturday (Allen followed him), and his fastball sat at 93-95 mph, which is a great sign for a guy who pitched tentatively throughout 2024.
—Zack Meisel, The Athletic, 24 Feb. 2025
Boston Blue, as the offshoot is tentatively titled, finds Wahlberg’s Danny Reagan taking a position with the Boston PD.
—Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 18 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tentatively
Cite this Entry
“Tentatively.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tentatively. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share