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reticencia

reluctance; reticence

noun rreh-tee-SEHN-syah Rare

Origin: Latin reticentia (keeping silence).

Usage Note

Reticencia is a false friend: English 'reticence' means unwillingness to speak, but in Spanish reticencia more broadly means reluctance or reservation about doing something ('mostrar reticencias a firmar el acuerdo'). The plural reticencias is very common to express hesitations or reservations in plural.

Examples

"Mostró reticencia a aceptar el cargo."

Natural Translation

She showed reluctance to accept the position.

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