Cavilation
/ˌkævɪˈleɪʃən/noun
The act of caviling, finding petty fault, or raising needless objections.
Did you know?Cavilation descends from Latin language associated with mockery, joking, and quibbling—showing how sarcasm and formal criticism once occupied the same linguistic territory.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Latin
Latin
cavillārī
“To jest, mock, or quibble”
Classical Latin
Latin
cavillātiō
“Mockery, joking, or captious objection”
Medieval Latin
Latin
cavillatio
“A quibble or act of faultfinding”
Middle English
English
cavillacioun
“Caviling or contentious objection”
Early Modern English
English
cavillation
“The practice of raising trivial objections”
Modern English
English
cavilation
“Caviling; petty faultfinding, also used as a variant of cavillation”
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