definitions

cunctation

[ kuhngk-tey-shuh n ]
/ kʌŋkˈteɪ ʃən /
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR cunctation ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

delay; tardiness.

RELATED WORDS

stoppage, lag, setback, moratorium, postponement, suspension, problem, wait, holdup, obstruction, check, reprieve, surcease, holding, lingering, filibuster, tie-up, remission, stop, detention

Nearby words

cumulus, cumulus clouds, cuna, cunard, cunaxa, cunctation, cunctator, cuneal, cuneate, cuneate fasciculus, cuneate nucleus

Origin of cunctation

1575–85; < Latin cunctātiōn- (stem of cunctātiō) delay, equivalent to cunctāt(us) (past participle of cunctārī to delay) + -iōn- -ion

Related forms

cunc·ta·tious, cunc·ta·to·ry [kuhngk-tuh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee] /ˈkʌŋk təˌtɔr i, -ˌtoʊr i/, cunc·ta·tive [kuhngk-tuh-tiv] /ˈkʌŋk tə tɪv/, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for cunctation

British Dictionary definitions for cunctation

cunctation

/ (kʌŋkˈteɪʃən) /

noun

rare delay

Derived Forms

cunctative (ˈkʌŋktətɪv), adjectivecunctator, noun

Word Origin for cunctation

C16: from Latin cunctātiō a hesitation, from cunctārī to delay
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012