temporize

English

Etymology

Clipping of temperate +‎ -ize.

Verb

temporize (third-person singular simple present temporizes, present participle temporizing, simple past and past participle temporized)

1. To deliberately act evasively or prolong a discussion in order to gain time or postpone a decision, sometimes in order to reach a compromise or simply to make a conversation more temperate.
2. (obsolete) To comply with the time or occasion; to humor, or yield to, the current of opinion or circumstances; also, to trim, as between two parties.
   • Daniel

     They might their grievance inwardly complain, But outwardly they needs must temporize.

3. (obsolete) To delay; to procrastinate.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Francis Bacon to this entry?)

4. (obsolete) To comply; to agree.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Shakespeare to this entry?)

Derived terms

• temporizer

Translations

to deliberately act evasively or prolong a discussion

• Finnish: viivytellä (fi)