tentative

tentative — 形容詞

1. describing plans, decisions, or actions that are not yet fixed or definite, and

1.形容詞B2
釋義

暫定；試探

尚未固定的；因不確定而試探性的

describing plans, decisions, or actions that are not yet fixed or definite, and may be changed if new information comes to light or if the person involved feels unsure about what to do.

例句

Karim and Naoko signed a tentative agreement to share office space starting next month.

Karim 和 Naoko 簽了一份暫定協議，打算從下個月開始共用辦公室。

tentative agreement (plan/deal not yet final)

EVA Air flight BR-858 to Singapore is still tentative, so please check the airline app before you leave.

長榮航空 BR-858 飛往新加坡的航班時間仍為暫定，請出發前查看航空公司 App 確認。

be + tentative (predicative use)

同義詞
  • provisional

    more specific to arrangements that are officially in place until a final version is confirmed; 'tentative' implies more uncertainty about whether a final version will ever be settled

  • hesitant

    describes a person's inner doubt or reluctance rather than the status of a plan; 'tentative' can describe either the person's manner or the plan itself

  • preliminary

    focuses on being early or first in a sequence, not on uncertainty; a preliminary report may be quite firm as a starting point

反義詞
  • final

    a final agreement cannot be changed; a tentative one can still be adjusted

  • certain

    a certain decision leaves no room for doubt or alteration

文法句型

tentative + noun

be + tentative

remain + tentative

用法筆記

This sense covers two related but distinguishable uses: (1) describing plans, agreements, or arrangements that are not yet final (e.g. a tentative booking), and (2) describing actions or behaviour done in a hesitant, cautious way (e.g. a tentative smile). The first use is more common in formal or business contexts; the second appears in descriptions of personal interaction.

常見錯誤

❌The contract is tentative signed.
✅The contract is tentatively signed.
💡'tentative' is an adjective; the adverb 'tentatively' is needed to modify a verb.
❌This is a temporary agreement, so we can change it.
✅This is a tentative agreement, so we can change it.
💡'temporary' refers to duration (not permanent); 'tentative' refers to uncertainty (not yet final). They are not interchangeable.

tentative — 名詞