temporize

especially British, tem·po·rise

[tem-puh-rahyz]

verb (used without object)

temporized, temporizing 

1. to be indecisive or evasive to gain time or delay acting.

   Synonyms: equivocate, stall, hedge

2. to comply with the time or occasion; yield temporarily or ostensibly to prevailing opinion or circumstances.

3. to treat or parley so as to gain time (usually followed bywith ).

4. to come to terms (usually followed bywith ).

5. to effect a compromise (usually followed bybetween ).

temporize

/ ˈtɛmpəˌraɪz /

verb

1. to delay, act evasively, or protract a discussion, negotiation, etc, esp in order to gain time or effect a compromise

2. to adapt oneself to the circumstances or occasion, as by temporary or apparent agreement

Other Word Forms

• temporization noun
• temporizer noun
• temporizingly adverb
• nontemporizing adjective
• nontemporizingly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of temporize¹

First recorded in 1570–80; from Middle French temporiser “to wait one's time,” from Medieval Latin temporizāre “to put off the time, hang back, delay,” equivalent to Latin tempor- (stem of tempus ) “time” + Late Latin -izāre -ize

Word History and Origins

Origin of temporize¹

C16: from French temporiser, from Medieval Latin temporizāre, from Latin tempus time

Example Sentences

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dismissed a key ally from his new Cabinet, bowing to a ruling from the Israeli Supreme Court after days of temporizing.

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Once the expense of spirit, dollars, actions and arguments to keep alive the possibility of a second term is ended, the need for Biden to posture or tactically temporize will be gone, too.

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Amleth, as he is called, is no student philosopher, temporizing over the nuances of being and nonbeing.

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It’s also that the mainstream conservatives who remain depend so much on the ballots and energy of the nuts and the zealots that they hold back and temporize.

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Rab1, and Black is left to temporize as White methodically prepares his breakthrough.

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