temporize
/ˈtɛmpərʌɪz
/(also temporise)
verb [no object]
Avoid making a decision or committing oneself in order to gain time: the opportunity was missed because the queen still temporized...
- The council had temporized on quite crucial decisions.
- Moderate leaders continue to temporize and avoid coming to grips with extremists.
- Liberals are classified as weak, insipid, temporizing, and unprincipled.
Synonyms
equivocate, procrastinate, play for time, play a waiting game, stall, use delaying tactics, avoid committing oneself, avoid making a decision, delay, hang back, beat about the bush, be evasive, prevaricate, be indecisive, hesitate;
British hum and haw
US informal kick the can down the road
archaic palter
rare tergiversate, use Fabian tactics
Derivatives
temporization
- It is a temporisation: a device for avoiding to commit oneself.
- He steered the US back toward the path of temporisation and appeasement.
- Nothing has been more deleterious in this war than the promise of hard force followed by temporization.
temporizer
- He is a temporizer who has stood up for tyrants.
- He came to see himself as a temporizer.
Origin
Late 16th century: from French temporiser 'bide one's time', from medieval Latin temporizare 'to delay', from Latin tempus, tempor- 'time'.