temporize

== English == === Etymology === From Middle French temporiser (“to wait one's time, temporize”) + English -ize (suffix forming verbs). Temporiser is derived from Medieval Latin temporizāre, from Latin temporāre (“to delay, put off”) + -izāre (suffix forming the present active infinitive of verbs). Temporāre is derived from tempor-, the inflected stem of tempus (“age, time, period; season of the year; due, opportune, or proper time”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *temp-, *ten- (“to extend, stretch (in the sense of a stretch of time)”), or *temh₁- (“to cut (in the sense of a section of time)”)) + -āre. Compare temporalize. === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈtɛmpəɹaɪz/ (General American) IPA(key): /ˈtɛmpəˌɹaɪz/ Hyphenation: temp‧or‧ize === Verb === temporize (third-person singular simple present temporizes, present participle temporizing, simple past and past participle temporized) (American spelling, Oxford British English) (intransitive) To deliberately act evasively or prolong a discussion in order to gain time or postpone a decision, sometimes so that a compromise can be reached or simply to make a conversation more temperate; to stall for time. 2020, Nghi Vo, When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain, chapter 8: “There are more answers to that than you may think,” Chih temporized, because there were, but they could see that there was only one answer that really mattered to tigers. (intransitive, by extension) To discuss, to negotiate; to reach a compromise. (transitive, dentistry) To apply a temporary piece of dental work that will later be removed. (intransitive, archaic) To comply with the occasion or time; to humour, or yield to, current circumstances or opinion; also, to trim (“fluctuate between parties, so as to appear to favour each”). (intransitive, obsolete) To delay, especially until a more favourable time; to procrastinate. (transitive, medicine) To take temporary measures or actions to manage a situation without providing a definitive or permanent solution. ==== Conjugation ==== ==== Alternative forms ==== temporise (non-Oxford British spelling) ==== Derived terms ==== temporization temporized (adjective) temporizer ==== Translations ==== === References ===