Vacillation
/ˌvæs.ɪˈleɪ.ʃən/noun
The act of wavering between different opinions or actions; indecision.
Did you know?The word ultimately traces back to Latin *vacillāre*, meaning “to sway, stagger, or be unsteady,” a physical image that later became a psychological one.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*weǵ-
“to be strong, be lively; to move with force”
Latin
Latin
vacillāre
“to sway, stagger, be unsteady”
Late Latin
Latin
vacillātiō
“a swaying, staggering”
Old French
Old French
vacillation
“wavering, unsteadiness”
Late Middle English
English
vacillacioun
“wavering, indecision”
Modern English
English
vacillation
“wavering between choices or opinions”