What does dilatorily mean?
"Dilatorily" is a formal adverb meaning in a slow, delaying, or procrastinating manner. It describes actions taken with unhelpful sluggishness — responses deferred, decisions postponed, tasks allowed to drag on longer than they should. The word derives from "dilatory," which traces back through Late Latin "dilatorius" to Latin "differre," meaning to put off or postpone, ultimately connected to the notion of carrying something apart or away. In modern usage it appears most often in legal, bureaucratic, and literary writing, where precision about blame matters: to act dilatorily is not merely to be slow, but to be slow in a way that suggests negligence or evasion. Because the adjective "dilatory" is far more frequent, "dilatorily" reads as distinctly formal, and many writers prefer plainer alternatives such as "sluggishly" or "in a dilatory fashion." Still, it fills a precise niche — no common adverb captures quite so neatly the sense of time being wasted deliberately or carelessly.
adverbIn a manner characterized by delay or procrastination; slowly and in a way that wastes time.
- In a dilatory manner; marked by or causing delay, procrastination, or tardiness.
"The committee responded dilatorily to the urgent request, taking months to issue even an interim report."
"The agency acted dilatorily, letting the permit application languish for over a year."
""You work so dilatorily," she sighed, watching him sharpen the same pencil for the third time."
Born from the Latin for 'to widen a gap,' dilatorily literally describes widening the space between now and later — the perfect word for every meeting that should have been an email.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of dilatorily
Dilatorily comes from "dilatory," which entered English in the late Middle English period via Old French "dilatoire" from Late Latin "dilatorius," derived from Latin "differre" (to defer, put off), formed from "dis-" (apart) and "ferre" (to carry). The underlying image is of carrying a matter apart from the present moment — pushing it into the future. The adverb was formed by adding the standard English suffix "-ly." Cognates sharing the "ferre" root include "dilate," "dilation," and more distantly "translate" and "confer."
Related word forms
How dilatorily is actually used
Formal and somewhat rare; found chiefly in legal, administrative, and literary contexts. It carries a clearly negative connotation of culpable slowness — delay through negligence rather than necessity. The base adjective "dilatory" is considerably more common than this adverbial form.
Easily confused with dilatorily
"Dilatantly" relates to dilatance (a substance's behavior under shear stress), whereas "dilatorily" means acting with delay or slowness.