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 Latintentātīvus, equivalent to Latintentāt(us) (past participle of tentāre, variant of temptāre to test; see tempt) + -īvus-ive
a printed punctuation mark (‽), available only in some typefaces, designed to combine the question mark (?) and the exclamation point (!), indicating a mixture of query and interjection, as after a rhetorical question.
a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.
a chattering or flighty, light-headed person.
a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.
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.