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Added 9 October 2026

tenuous

/ˈtɛ.njʊ.əs/ adjective

Latin root: tenuis Wiktionary

adjective Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about tenuous at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Having thin consistency.
a tenuous fluid
Very thin in gauge or diameter.
a tenuous thread
Lacking substance or significance.
slight evidence

Origin

Irregularly formed from Latin tenuis (“thin, slight”) + -ous. Compare tenuious.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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