Definition of tenuous

The word "tenuous" first appeared in English in the mid-16th century and derives from the Latin word "tenuīus," meaning "thin" or "slender." In its earliest uses, "tenuous" primarily referred to physical characteristics, such as thin or delicate objects. Over time, the meaning of "tenuous" shifted to include more intangible concepts, such as the less substantial or less certain aspects of ideas, arguments, and relationships. Today, "tenuous" has come to describe items or situations that are fragile, uncertain, or weakly connected, such as tenuous arguments or tenuous connections between people or ideas. The root of "tenuous" lies in the Latin verb "tenuis," meaning "to thin" or "to lessen." In Latin, this verb can be traced back to the Proto-Indo-European (PIE) roots "tenh-" (to stretch) and "euoi-" (to lessen). These PIE words eventually led to the development of related words in other languages, such as the English words "stretch" and "slender," as well as the Latin words "tenuis," from which "tenuous" is derived. To summarize, the word "tenuous" originated in the Latin language as a descriptor for thin and delicate objects, but its meaning has since evolved to describe less substantial or less certain concepts. The root of "tenuous" lies in the Latin verb "tenuis" and can be traced back to PIE roots meaning "to stretch" and "to lessen."