reluctance

noun

Etymology: Etymology tree English reluct Proto-Indo-European *-yós Proto-Italic *-ios Old Latin -ios Latin -ius Latin -iader. Old French -ancebor. Middle English -aunce English -ance English reluctance From reluct + -ance. From Latin relū̆ctor (“to struggle against, oppose, resist”) + -ance, from re- (“back”) + luctor (“to struggle”).

1. Unwillingness to do something.

   “Our new dog shows reluctance to go on walks, preferring to be indoors.”

2. Hesitancy in taking some action.
3. 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. 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.”