tentativeness
noun
ten·ta·tive·ness
ˈten-tə-tiv-nəs 
: the quality or state of being tentative or hesitant : hesitancy, uncertainty
heard a tentativeness in her voice
… we also have trouble comprehending the meaning of "hope" as that word is used in the New Testament; for us the term always seems to include an element of uncertainty and tentativeness.—
Herbert W. Chilstrom
Herbert W. ChilstromExamples of tentativeness in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
His performance that night was hardly a home run, but Biden’s tentativeness was understandable.
—Philip Elliott, TIME, 24 June 2024
But when actually called upon to sing and dance while wearing a magenta velvet frock coat and top hat, Chalamet displays the tentativeness of someone who only recently emerged from the prelapsarian bliss of childhood into an adolescent’s awareness of the possibility of being embarrassed.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 8 Mar. 2024
What also stood out last season, though, was his surprising tentativeness on some plays.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 30 May 2024
The pronounced limp of an amputee comes from having to use the hip to throw the leg forward, from the residual limb pulling back motion, and from a tentativeness caused by numerous past falls.
—Jothy Rosenberg, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tentativeness 
Philip Elliott, TIME, 24 June 2024
But when actually called upon to sing and dance while wearing a magenta velvet frock coat and top hat, Chalamet displays the tentativeness of someone who only recently emerged from the prelapsarian bliss of childhood into an adolescent’s awareness of the possibility of being embarrassed.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 8 Mar. 2024
What also stood out last season, though, was his surprising tentativeness on some plays.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 30 May 2024
The pronounced limp of an amputee comes from having to use the hip to throw the leg forward, from the residual limb pulling back motion, and from a tentativeness caused by numerous past falls.
—Jothy Rosenberg, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tentativeness
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tentativeness.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near tentativeness
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“Tentativeness.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tentativeness. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
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