Temporize: The Art of Delaying Decisions
Learn about ‘temporize’, a verb meaning to avoid making decisions or commitments to gain time. Discover its pronunciation, etymology, synonyms, antonyms, and common usage errors. Improve your vocabulary and SAT verbal skills with this insightful exploration of a word that describes a common human behavior.
Imagine you’re faced with a difficult decision. Instead of tackling it head-on, you keep putting it off, making excuses, and avoiding the issue altogether.
This behavior has a name, and it’s the word we’re exploring today: temporize.
Word type: Temporize is a verb.
It’s pronounced TEM-puh-rize.
Meaning: To temporize means to avoid making a decision or committing to a course of action in order to gain time or delay dealing with a situation.
It often involves being evasive, indecisive, or compromising to suit the time or occasion.
Word history:
The word temporize comes from the Medieval Latin word temporizare, which means to pass the time. It’s related to the Latin word tempus, meaning time.
This connection to time reflects the core idea of temporizing: manipulating or stalling for time.
Antonyms:
Some antonyms for temporize include decide, commit, resolve, and act.
Synonyms: Synonyms for temporize include procrastinate, stall, hedge, equivocate, and prevaricate.
Examples use in sentences: The politician temporized when asked about his stance on the controversial bill, avoiding a direct answer.
Rather than temporize, the CEO made a swift decision to address the company’s financial crisis. Sarah knew she couldn’t temporize any longer and had to confront her roommate about the unpaid rent.
Common errors in use: One common error when using temporize is confusing it with temporalize, which means to make something temporary.
Remember, temporize is about delaying or avoiding action, not making something temporary. Another mistake is using temporize when you simply mean to wait.
Temporizing implies a deliberate attempt to avoid commitment or decision-making, not just passive waiting.
Understanding and correctly using words like temporize can significantly boost your SAT verbal score.
It’s not just about knowing the definition, but also understanding the nuances and contexts in which the word is used.
As you prepare for the SAT, pay attention to how words like temporize appear in reading passages and sentence completion questions.
Being able to recognize and apply these vocabulary words accurately can make a real difference in your performance.
Remember, while temporizing might seem like a useful strategy in some situations, it’s often better to face challenges directly.
In your SAT preparation and in life, decisive action and clear communication will usually serve you better than avoiding or delaying important decisions.
