different between tentative vs ambiguous

English

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?t?nt?t?v/
• Hyphenation: ten?ta?tive

Noun

tentative (plural tentatives)

1. A trial; an experiment; an attempt.

Adjective

tentative (comparative more tentative, superlative most tentative)

1. Of or pertaining to a trial or trials; essaying; experimental.
2. Uncertain; subject to future change.

Derived terms

• tentativeness
• tentatively

Antonyms

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

Translations

Further reading

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

Anagrams

• attentive

French

Etymology

From Medieval Latin tent?t?va, from tent? (“to attempt”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /t??.ta.tiv/

Noun

tentative f (plural tentatives)

1. attempt, try, effort

   Synonym: essai

Related terms

• tenter

Further reading

• “tentative” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

German

Pronunciation

Adjective

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

English

Etymology

From Latin ambiguus (“moving from side to side, of doubtful nature”), from ambigere (“to go about, wander, doubt”), from ambi- (“around, about, on both sides”) + agere (“to drive, move”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /æm?b??ju?s/

Adjective

ambiguous (comparative more ambiguous, superlative most ambiguous)

1. Open to multiple interpretations.

   Synonym: equivocal

   Antonym: unambiguous

2. (obsolete, of persons) Hesitant; uncertain; not taking sides.
   • 1662 Thomas Salusbury

     And forasmuch as in this same question I am ambiguous, and Simplicius is resolute....

Related terms

• ambages
• ambiguity
• ambiguate
• ambiguation
• disambiguation

Translations

See also

• contradictory
• mistakable
• confusing

Further reading

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

References

• John A. Simpson and Edward S. C. Weiner, editors (1989) , “ambiguous”, in The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd edition, Oxford: Clarendon Press, ?ISBN