cunctātĭo (cont-), ōnis, f. [cunctor],
a delaying, lingering , in a good or (more freq.) in a bad sense, a tarrying, delay, hesitation, doubt (subject., while mora is object.; freq. and in good prose): danda brevis cogitationi mora ... in hac cunctatione, etc., Quint. 11, 3, 157: studium semper adsit, cunctatio absit, Cic. Lael. 13, 44: boni nescio quo modo tardiores sunt ... ita ut non numquam cunctatione ac tarditate ... otium atque dignitatem amittant, id. Sest. 47, 100: Sabini, Caes. B. G. 3, 18: sua, id. ib. 3, 24: major invadendi, Liv. 5, 41, 7; opp. temeritas, Tac. H. 3, 20; 1, 21; cf.: propior constantiae (opp.: velocitas juxta formidinem), id. G. 30 fin. : abjectā omni cunctatione adipiscendi magistratus et gerenda res publica est, Cic. Off. 1, 21, 72; freq. sine cunctatione, id. Vatin. 6, 15; Liv. 36, 14, 2; Suet. Aug. 12: nulla umquam de morte hominis cunctatio longa est, Juv. 6, 221; Plin. Ep. 1, 8, 4: pressa et decora, id. ib. 1, 22, 3; 9, 9, 2; 10, 96 (97), 1; Tac. A. 11, 9; 12, 54; 15, 2; Curt. 4, 6, 13; 8, 6, 29 al.— In plur., Quint. 9, 2, 71; Tac. A. 4, 71.