different between temporize vs contemporize

English

Etymology

From Middle French temporiser (“to wait one's time, temporize”) + English -ize (suffix forming verbs). Temporiser is derived from Medieval Latin temporiz?re, from Latin tempor?re (“to delay, put off”) + -iz?re (suffix forming the present active infinitive of verbs). Tempor?re is derived from tempor-, the inflected stem of tempus (“age, time, period; season of the year; due, opportune, or proper time”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *temp-, *ten- (“to extend, stretch (in the sense of a stretch of time)”), or *temh?- (“to cut (in the sense of a section of time)”)) + -?re.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?t?mp??a?z/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?t?mp???a?z/
• Hyphenation: temp?or?ize

Verb

temporize (third-person singular simple present temporizes, present participle temporizing, simple past and past participle temporized) (American spelling, Oxford British English)

1. (intransitive) To deliberately act evasively or prolong a discussion in order to gain time or postpone a decision, sometimes so that a compromise can be reached or simply to make a conversation more temperate; to stall for time.
2. (intransitive, by extension) To discuss, to negotiate; to reach a compromise.
3. (transitive, dentistry) To apply a temporary piece of dental work that will later be removed.
4. (intransitive, archaic) To comply with the occasion or time; to humour, or yield to, current circumstances or opinion; also, to trim (“fluctuate between parties, so as to appear to favour each”).
5. (intransitive, obsolete) To delay, especially until a more favourable time; to procrastinate.

Conjugation

Alternative forms

• temporise (non-Oxford British spelling)

Derived terms

• temporization
• temporized (adjective)
• temporizer

Translations

References

English

Alternative forms

• contemporise

Etymology

contemporary +? -ize

Verb

contemporize (third-person singular simple present contemporizes, present participle contemporizing, simple past and past participle contemporized)

1. To bring up to date; often specifically to set a historical narrative in a modern context
2. (marketing) To modify, repackage, or present a well-known or traditional product or brand in a way that appeals to contemporary consumers.

   • Oscar Mayer tapped him to try to find some way to reposition bologna and other troubled meats that were declining in popularity and sales...when Drane began working on the project, his orders were to “figure out how to contemporize what we’ve got.”

Synonyms

• update
• adapt

Derived terms

• contemporization

Related terms

• contemporary
• temporize