mental reservation

noun

The act of holding back some word or clause which is necessary to convey fully the meaning really intended by the speaker, distinct from equivocation.

“I agreed to testify without any mental reservation.”

Similar
reservationarriere pensee
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Meanings

nounmental reservation (plural mental reservations)

plural mental reservations

  1. The act of holding back some word or clause which is necessary to convey fully the meaning really intended by the speaker, distinct from equivocation.

    I agreed to testify without any mental reservation.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounan unstated doubt that prevents you from accepting something wholeheartedly

Similar
reservationarriere pensee
Broader
doubtuncertaintyincertitude
Also see
reservation

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Cite this entry
APA

mental reservation. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mental%20reservation

MLA

“mental reservation.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mental%20reservation. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “mental reservation,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mental%20reservation.

Source: mental reservation on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.