tentative

attempt, try

noun tahn-tah-TEEV Less Common

Usage Note

Tentative is a false friend: in French it means 'attempt', not 'tentative' (which is hésitant or provisoire). Une tentative de meurtre is 'attempted murder'. The related verb is tenter ('to attempt, to tempt'). Faire une tentative is a neutral, formal way to say 'to make an attempt'.

Examples

"Sa première tentative a échoué."

Natural Translation

His first attempt failed.

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