hesitancy

[ hez-i-tuhn-see ]

noun

, plural hes·i·tan·cies

1. hesitation; indecision or disinclination.

Other Words From

• pre·hesi·tan·cy noun plural prehesitancies

Word History and Origins

Origin of hesitancy¹

From the Latin word haesitantia, dating back to 1610–20. See hesitant, -ancy

Example Sentences

Vaccine hesitancy is one piece of a growing distrust in public health exacerbated by the government’s pandemic response that many experts fear will only deepen with the new Trump Administration.

From Salon

Still, given the overall hesitancy to call most races aside from the obvious deep red and blue states, and Fox's early call of the entire race for Donald Trump, there wasn’t a great feeling that we were missing anything.

From Salon

But he has criticism, too, for the Biden-Harris administration, citing its “hesitancy” over the deteriorating situation in the Middle East.

From BBC

“The continuous movement of populations, security challenges in high-risk areas, and persistent vaccine hesitancy all contribute to the persistence of the virus,” Melissa Corkum, the chief of Unicef polio team in Pakistan, told the BBC.

From BBC

Initial sessions tend to be colored by weeping, hesitancy and half-truths as the clinician and client get a feel for each other.

From Salon

Related Words

• indecision
• reluctance
• skepticism