hesitancy
Americannoun
plural
hesitanciesOther Word Forms
- prehesitancy noun
Etymology
Origin of hesitancy
From the Latin word haesitantia, dating back to 1610–20. See hesitant, -ancy
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“Their hesitancy to cut rates, I think, is actually ... quite a mark against them,” he said on CNBC.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 3, 2026
Bailey chalks this hesitancy up to education, but Motta says it’s not just that, noting that many pet parents today are well-read.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 28, 2026
If something sounds too good to be true, have a certain amount of hesitancy making any decisions based on the bot’s information.
From Slate • Jan. 21, 2026
"Most Covid-19 vaccine hesitancy was rooted in concrete concerns that can be addressed and successfully overcome with time and increasing availability of information," the study in The Lancet journal said.
From Barron's • Jan. 12, 2026
“I say we go,” I said, but I still read hesitancy in Patria’s face.
From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
