wariness

[ wair-ee-nis ]

noun

1. the state or quality of being wary.

Other Words From

• over·wari·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of wariness¹

First recorded in 1545–55; wary + -ness

Example Sentences

Their wariness, providers and union representatives say, is fueled by online misinformation about the vaccine and historical mistrust of the medical system of which they are a part.

From Washington Post

This can then cause what Lawhon and those in his field call attraction behavior, which refers to human actions that cause animals to overcome their natural wariness of people.

From Popular-Science

Despite their justified wariness of granting the government the power to regulate speech, the Democratic-Republicans were wrong to conclude that the truth would necessarily prevail in an open exchange of information.

From Washington Post

Despite the general openness among the public, though, officials at all levels of government have expressed a wariness – or outright hostility – to shifting money, Sara Libby writes.

From Voice of San Diego

Though the poll suggests the public is open to efforts to reallocate funding away from policing, officials at all level of government have expressed a wariness – or outright hostility – to doing so.

From Voice of San Diego

Our wariness of difference and diversity all too often leads us into “not like me” thinking.

From The Daily Beast

In all, the atmosphere on Thursday night was one of tense wariness and expectation.

From The Daily Beast

That alone will cause wariness in Israel and Western capitals.

From The Daily Beast

Many of our leaders and pundits complain about the weariness and wariness of war, but the nature of conflict has changed.

From The Daily Beast

A separate Pew Survey, for instance, found growing wariness and negative perceptions of America compared to two years ago.

From The Daily Beast

Eric began to feel something of this, and there shaped in his mind a wariness, a defense against this woman who was not Suzanne.

From Project Gutenberg

With the wariness was something like question, and almost disbelief.

From Project Gutenberg

With all his wariness and calculation he measured the Major's figure.

From Project Gutenberg

Reptiles harassed mammals into the attainment of a certain amount of wariness and intelligence.

From Project Gutenberg

Dawes, recognising the necessity of extreme wariness, offered no further objection.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• alertness
• vigilance