ten·ta·tive

[ten-tuh-tiv]
adjective
1.
of the nature of or made or done as a trial, experiment, or attempt; experimental: a tentative report on her findings.
2.
unsure; uncertain; not definite or positive; hesitant: a tentative smile on his face.

Origin:
1580–90; < Medieval Latin tentātīvus, equivalent to Latin tentāt(us) (past participle of tentāre, variant of temptāre to test; see tempt) + -īvus -ive

ten·ta·tive·ly, adverb
ten·ta·tive·ness, noun
non·ten·ta·tive, adjective
non·ten·ta·tive·ly, adverb
non·ten·ta·tive·ness, noun
pre·ten·ta·tive, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Tentative is always a great word to know.
So is doohickey. Does it mean:
a gadget; dingus; thingumbob.
a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare.
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World English Dictionary
tentative (ˈtɛntətɪv) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
adj
1.  provisional or experimental; conjectural
2.  hesitant, uncertain, or cautious
 
[C16: from Medieval Latin tentātīvus, from Latin tentāre to test]
 
'tentatively
 
adv
 
'tentativeness
 
n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

tentative
1580s, from M.L. tentativus "trying, testing," from L. tentatus, pp. of tentare "to feel, try," (variant of temptare "to feel, try, test"). Related: Tentatively.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
Even that tentative upturn relied on unparalleled looseness in fiscal and
  monetary policy.
In fact, tentative observations predicts that it is not.
Many of the ideas and observations will be tentative.
My tentative take is that there's an inchoate quality to their fears that's new.
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