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reluctance

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reluctance

  • /ɹɪˈlʌktəns/

Where it comes from

From reluct + -ance. From Latin relū̆ctor (“to struggle against, oppose, resist”) + -ance, from re- (“back”) + luctor (“to struggle”).

noun reluctances

  1. countable, uncountable Unwillingness to do something. Our new dog shows reluctance to go on walks, preferring to be indoors.
  2. countable, uncountable Hesitancy in taking some action.
  3. archaic, countable, uncountable Defiance, disobedience. No more be mention’d then of violence / Against our selves, and wilful barrenness, / That cuts us off fom hope, and favours onely / Rancor and pride, impatience and despite, / Reluctance against God and his just yoke / Laid on our Necks.
  4. countable, uncountable That property of a magnetic circuit analogous to resistance in an electric circuit. That is to say, the total number of ampere-hours, including the drop of gilbertage, due to magnetic flux traversing the reluctance of the circuit, must be equal to zero.

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: disinclination, indisposition, hesitancy, hesitation, dislike, failure, aversion, diffidence, antipathy, lack, repugnance, ill-will, unwillingness, reticence, indecisiveness, loathing

Translations

Every language

noun unwillingness to do something

Españolreluctancia, renuencia, reaciedad
中文勉强
हिन्दीअनिच्छा anicchā
Portuguêsrelutância, hesitação
Françaisréticence
DeutschWiderstreben, Widerwillen, Widerwille
Italianoriluttanza
Ελληνικάεπιφυλακτικότητα epifylaktikótita
Românărepulsie
Русскийнеохо́та neoxóta, нежела́ние neželánije

noun hesitancy in taking some action

中文犹豫 yóuyù
Portuguêsrelutância, hesitação
DeutschZögern, Zaudern, Zögerlichkeit
Românăezitare, codire

noun magnetic resistance

Españolreluctancia
中文磁阻 cízǔ
Portuguêsrelutância
Françaisréluctance
Românăreluctanță

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Cite this
MLA

"reluctance." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/reluctance. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

reluctance. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/reluctance

Chicago

"reluctance." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/reluctance.

BibTeX
@misc{reluctance_2026,
  title = {reluctance},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/reluctance},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}