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

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

At the same time, reviews that differ from each other will elicit hesitancy in readers, even though the writers of the review were in fact more certain about their experiences.

From Salon

Related Words

• indecision
• reluctance
• skepticism