reluctance
noun
re·luc·tance
ri-ˈlək-tən(t)s 
1
: the quality or state of being reluctant
2
: the opposition offered in a magnetic circuit to magnetic flux
specifically
: the ratio of the magnetic potential difference to the corresponding flux
Examples of reluctance in a Sentence
the mice showed an odd reluctance to eat the cheese we had put out for them
Recent Examples on the Web
Trump had also accused NATO allies of cowardice over their reluctance to help open the strait.
—
Michael Loria, USA Today, 22 Mar. 2026
Trump has expressed reluctance to strike Iranian oil infrastructure for risk of escalating the war and sending gas prices at home surging even higher.
—Justin Fishel, ABC News, 22 Mar. 2026
Instead, there was a perceptible rise in militant attacks within Pakistan, accompanied by Kabul’s reluctance or inability to decisively act against Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan.
—Rabia Akhtar, The Conversation, 20 Mar. 2026
Even today most of us will accept the disenchantments of knowledge only with great reluctance.
—Robert Pogue Harrison, The New York Review of Books, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for reluctance
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Michael Loria, USA Today, 22 Mar. 2026
Trump has expressed reluctance to strike Iranian oil infrastructure for risk of escalating the war and sending gas prices at home surging even higher.
—Justin Fishel, ABC News, 22 Mar. 2026
Instead, there was a perceptible rise in militant attacks within Pakistan, accompanied by Kabul’s reluctance or inability to decisively act against Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan.
—Rabia Akhtar, The Conversation, 20 Mar. 2026
Even today most of us will accept the disenchantments of knowledge only with great reluctance.
—Robert Pogue Harrison, The New York Review of Books, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for reluctance
Cite this Entry
“Reluctance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reluctance. Accessed 26 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
reluctance
noun
re·luc·tance
ri-ˈlək-tən(t)s
: the quality or state of being reluctant
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