What does temporizing mean?
Temporizing means delaying a decision or avoiding firm commitment, usually by taking provisional steps that postpone the need to choose. In use, it often suggests evasion rather than an innocent scheduling delay: a negotiator who keeps changing position may be trying to preserve options rather than reach an agreement. The word commonly appears with expressions such as “temporizing action” and “temporizing tactics,” and it generally carries a mildly critical or political connotation. Because “temporary” and “temporizing” resemble each other, the distinction is easy to miss: a temporary measure may be planned and useful, while temporizing implies delay that avoids a decisive response. The verb is used in both British and American English, with “temporize” as the standard base form. The term is especially useful for describing political bargaining, diplomacy, negotiations, and institutional decision-making, where apparent progress can conceal an unwillingness to commit.
verbDelaying or postponing a decision or commitment by taking evasive, provisional, or noncommittal action.
- To delay or avoid a decision or commitment through provisional, evasive, or noncommittal action.
"After months of temporizing, the committee finally agreed to publish its findings."
"The negotiators continued temporizing, each waiting for the other side to make the first concession."
"Rather than acknowledge defeat, the minister began temporizing through a series of minor and misleading concessions."
To temporize is to buy time without buying a plan.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does temporizing come from?
Modern English temporize derives from Latin temporizare, “to delay,” ultimately from tempus, “time.” In English, the verb came to mean using delay or provisional measures to avoid a firm decision; temporizing is its present-participle form. Related words such as temporal, temporary, and temporality descend through the same Latin root.
Related word forms
How temporizing is actually used
The word is formal and generally carries a critical connotation: it suggests that delay serves to avoid commitment rather than merely allowing more time for thought. There is no regional difference in meaning, and temporizing is written the same way in British and American English, although the base verb is also spelled temporise in British English.
Easily confused with temporizing
A temporary measure is intended to last only briefly, whereas temporizing is the deliberate postponement of a decision or commitment.