temporize

American  

[tem-puh-rahyz] / ˈtɛm pəˌraɪz /

especially British, temporise

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 ).

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temporize British  

/ 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

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Other Word Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of temporize

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

Example Sentences

In the interim, however, this technology comes to us wrapped in some unprepossessing, temporized designs, like this fat-bellied seal in a plastic waistcoat.

From The Wall Street Journal

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.

From Washington Times

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

From New York Times

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

From Washington Times

The downside of Ms. Merkel’s flexibility and compromise has been a certain amount of flip-flopping and temporizing.

From Washington Post