SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
tentative
adjective
Not yet settled or certain; offered cautiously for consideration.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Not settled or certain
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topTentative can describe an unsettled plan or hesitant action. Cautious describes care and does not necessarily imply uncertainty about the conclusion.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See tentative in use
She proposed a tentative date while checking everyone's availability.
Samira circulated a tentative layout to invite suggestions rather than announce a final decision.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license