Reluctans

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Unwilling or hesitant to engage in an action or situation; displaying a lack of eagerness or enthusiasm in performing a task; characterized by a certain degree of resistance or opposition to a proposal or request
2. Showing an unwillingness to participate or act, often due to doubt or apprehension; manifesting a reluctance to follow through with intentions; embodying hesitance that stems from personal discomfort or disinterest
3. Expressing a desire to avoid or delay involvement in specific circumstances; indicating a lack of readiness or motivation to comply; revealing an inner conflict about taking particular actions or decisions

Etymology: Before it meant "unwilling," the Latin verb "reluctari" meant to struggle back against something, from "re-" ("back, against") and "luctari" ("to wrestle"). A person who reluctated was literally wrestling against a force, not simply declining to do something. "Reluctans" is the present participle of that verb, so it means "struggling against" or "resisting." Its English descendant, "reluctant," kept the sense of active resistance before it settled into the milder idea of hesitation. The noun sense in your entry, unwillingness to act, belongs to the English word "reluctance," which is built on the same Latin stem.