Temporizers

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. People who postpone decisions or stall for time to avoid taking a firm stand ; those who shift their opinions or conduct to suit prevailing conditions
2. Individuals who deliberately put off acting or committing themselves ; persons who bend their views and behavior to match whatever the current situation demands
3. Those who play for time and avoid making a clear choice ; people who accommodate themselves to changing circumstances or the spirit of the age

Etymology: "Temporizers" is the plural of "temporizer", a noun formed in English from the verb "temporize" plus the agentive suffix "-er", meaning one who temporizes. The suffix itself has a long pedigree: it descends from the Latin "-arius", which passed into Old French as "-ier" and entered English through Middle English "-er", with Old English "-ere" as an earlier relative in the same family of forms. The verb underneath is the more revealing part. "Temporize" comes from the Latin "tempus", meaning time, so to temporize originally meant to deal with a situation by waiting for a better moment rather than acting directly. The noun names the person who habitually does this, the one who buys time and avoids committing to a course of action.

Synonyms: procrastinators, dawdlers, stallers