tentative

French tentatif, from Latin tentativus (“trying, testing”), from tento, past participle tentatus (“to try, test”); see tent, tempt.

• IPA^(key): /ˈtɛntətɪv/

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• Hyphenation: ten‧ta‧tive

tentative (plural tentatives)

1. A trial; an experiment; an attempt.

tentative (comparative more tentative, superlative most tentative)

1. Of or pertaining to a trial or trials; essaying; experimental.
2. Uncertain; subject to future change.
3. restrained; polite; to feel one's way, not using full force.

• (subject to future change): conclusive, definitive, certain

• tentativeness
• tentatively

• tentative in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• tentative in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911

• attentive

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

• IPA^(key): /tɑ̃.ta.tiv/

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

      faire une tentative pour faire quelque chose ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

      la première tentative avortée ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

      une deuxième tentative infructueuse ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

      résoudre de faire une dernière tentative ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

      des longues années de tentatives échouées ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   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.

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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