procrastination

[proh-kras-tuh-ney-shuhn, pruh‑]

noun

1. the act or habit of procrastinating, or putting off or delaying, especially something requiring immediate attention.

   She was smart, but her constant procrastination led her to be late with almost every assignment.

Word History and Origins

Origin of procrastination¹

First recorded in 1540–50; from Latin prōcrāstinātiōn-, stem of prōcrāstinātiō “a putting off until tomorrow,” equivalent to prōcrāstināt(us), past participle of prōcrāstināre “to put off until tomorrow” + -iō -ion ( def. ); procrastinate ( def. )

Example Sentences

One is the practicality of the measure, which in theory is being dealt with by the EU but is succumbing to endless procrastination.

From BBC

For some, procrastination until the precipice of death inevitably led to a rather stressful process of deathbed absolution.

From Salon

Herbie Hancock is an all-time jazz great, so it is reassuring to hear that he suffers from the same modern day procrastination problems as the rest of us mere mortals.

From BBC

She jokes that procrastination is often her biggest enemy.

From BBC

“We thought it was procrastination to punt it over to a charter commission,” said Plata, whose group argued last year in favor of growing the council to 29 members.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• doubt 
• equivocation 
• hesitancy 
• indecision 
• misgiving 
• mistrust 
• pause 
• qualm 
• reluctance 
• skepticism 
• unwillingness www.thesaurus.com
• vacillation