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
But there is absolutely a reluctance to look the future in the face for now while things are OK.
—
Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2025
And Clark’s fans, who have often noted the exceptionally high level of physicality directed at Clark and who’ve been aghast at the league office’s reluctance to single out her unique star power, had good reasons to believe that the league was self-sabotaging.
—Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 5 Oct. 2025
As the missing final months in the timeline of An Unfinished Film indicates, the people's reluctance to talk about the pandemic cannot be attributed only to censorship.
—Yangyang Cheng, NPR, 4 Oct. 2025
Perhaps reluctance founded in a dread premonition?
—Leanna Renee Hieber, Big Think, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reluctance
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2025
And Clark’s fans, who have often noted the exceptionally high level of physicality directed at Clark and who’ve been aghast at the league office’s reluctance to single out her unique star power, had good reasons to believe that the league was self-sabotaging.
—Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 5 Oct. 2025
As the missing final months in the timeline of An Unfinished Film indicates, the people's reluctance to talk about the pandemic cannot be attributed only to censorship.
—Yangyang Cheng, NPR, 4 Oct. 2025
Perhaps reluctance founded in a dread premonition?
—Leanna Renee Hieber, Big Think, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reluctance
Cite this Entry
“Reluctance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reluctance. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
reluctance
noun
re·luc·tance
ri-ˈlək-tən(t)s
: the quality or state of being reluctant
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share