temporize

verb

tem·po·rize ˈtem-pə-ˌrīz

temporized; temporizing

Synonyms of temporize

intransitive verb

: to act to suit the time or occasion : yield to current or dominant opinion

: to draw out discussions or negotiations so as to gain time

you'd have to temporize until you found out how she wanted to be advised—Mary Austin

temporization

ˌtem-pə-rə-ˈzā-shən

noun

temporizer noun

Did you know?

Is it Time to temporize?

Temporize comes from the Medieval Latin verb temporizare ("to pass the time"), which itself comes from the Latin noun tempus, meaning "time." Tempus is also the root of such words as tempo, contemporary, and temporal. If you need to buy some time, you might resort to temporizing—but you probably won't win admiration for doing so. Temporize can have a somewhat negative connotation. For instance, a political leader faced with a difficult issue might temporize by talking vaguely about possible solutions without actually doing anything. The point of such temporizing is to avoid taking definite—and possibly unpopular—action, in hopes that the problem will somehow go away. But the effect is often just to make matters worse.

Examples of temporize in a Sentence

Pressured by voters on both sides of the issue, the congressmen temporized.

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Romney's Cass took Obama to task for opposing development of the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge and for temporizing on the Keystone pipeline, while Obama's Aldy accused Romney of being insensitive to the environment and to the needs and desires of future generations. —IEEE Spectrum, 9 Oct. 2012 Accompanying these principles must be a rejection of the impulse to temporize about the dangers that confront us and a rejection of the bizarre deprecation of our nation and civilization. —Peter J. Travers, National Review, 29 Mar. 2022

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Middle French temporiser, temporisier "to last, pass one's life, postpone, gain time," probably borrowed from Medieval Latin temporizāre "to delay," from Latin tempor-, tempus "time, period of time" + Medieval Latin -izāre -ize — more at tempo

First Known Use

1579, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of temporize was in 1579

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