1
Weak connection
Linking two things through limited or indirect evidence.
Example
The proposed connection between the symbols and the dynasty remains tenuous.
tenuous
/ˈtɛnjuəs/ · TEN-yoo-uhsadjective
Weak, slight, or insufficiently supported.
Use tenuous for a connection, claim, or situation that has little substance and may not withstand scrutiny.
What tenuous Really Means
The word becomes easier to use when its closely related senses are separated and compared.
2
Poorly supported claim
Resting on assumptions or evidence too slight to inspire confidence.
Example
The article drew a tenuous conclusion from one incomplete survey.
3
Fragile situation
Existing in an uncertain state that could easily fail or disappear.
Example
After months without funding, the research programme's future was tenuous.
Use tenuous Naturally
Notice how the surrounding noun or clause reveals the exact shade of meaning.
The historian called the proposed connection tenuous because it rested on a single damaged inscription.
The evidence linking the two events remains tenuous.
Only a tenuous agreement kept the coalition together through the final vote.
Precision Matters
Tenuous overlaps with several common words, but each carries a different emphasis.
tenuous
vs.Often refers specifically to limited support or a slight connection.
weak
Is broader and can describe strength in almost any sense.
tenuous
vs.Emphasises that support is slight.
speculative
Emphasises reliance on conjecture rather than established facts.
tenuous
vs.Describes a weak link or uncertain basis.
remote
Often describes a small probability or great distance.
tenuous
vs.Can describe an argument, link, or unstable condition.
fragile
Emphasises how easily something can break or be damaged.
Test tenuous in Context
One contradicted source tells you how strong the historian thinks the link is.
1
Because the proposed link depended on one anonymous account that several official records contradicted, the historian judged it tenuous.
As used in the text, “tenuous” most nearly means…