Disinclination

/ˌdɪsɪnklɪˈneɪʃən/ noun

Definition

A lack of desire or willingness to do something; reluctance or unwillingness.

Etymology

From dis- (negation) + inclination (from Latin inclinatio, a leaning toward, from inclinare, to lean). The prefix dis- reverses the sense of inclination, transforming 'leaning toward' into 'leaning away from' something.

Kelly Says

This word is deliciously precise: it's not that you *can't* do something (that would be inability), but that you don't *want* to because you're psychologically leaning away from it. Jane Austen used it brilliantly in her novels to show character psychology—a 'disinclination' revealed what her characters secretly thought about society.

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