tenuous
adj. C1 Advanced US //ˈtɛnjəwəs// UK //tˈɛnjuːəs// ten·u·ous
adj. very weak or uncertain. You use this to describe a connection, a reason, or a situation that could easily break or fail.
adj. extremely weak, slender, or slight; lacking a sound basis or substantial connection. Often describes abstract links, arguments, or positions of power.
The connection between the two events is tenuous.
The new government held a tenuous grip on power after the narrow election victory.
The prosecutor's case rested on a tenuous link between the suspect's movements and the digital evidence, which the defence quickly challenged during the trial.
Irregularly formed from Latin tenuis (“thin, slight”) + -ous. Compare tenuious.
Usage
Commonly used to modify abstract nouns like 'link', 'connection', 'grip', or 'argument'.