mental reservation
- noun
- /ˈmɛntəl ˌrɛzərˈveɪʃən/
:
reservas mentales
- ...against all enemies, foreign and domestic... ...and that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same... ...and that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same... ...and that I take this obligation freely... ...and that I take this obligation freely... ...without any mental reservation, or purpose of evasion... ...without any mental reservation, or purpose of evasion... ...so help me God.
Examples
-
She expressed her concerns about the project but did so with a mental reservation that was not immediately apparent.
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Useful all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties.
Blog text (24) -
During the meeting, he agreed with the plan, yet he had a mental reservation that he kept to himself.
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Although she nodded in agreement, her mental reservation made her hesitant to fully commit to the proposal.
Synonyms
∞
1.6
A feeling of not being sure about something
73
4.8
A feeling of doubt that makes you hesitate to agree
1
7.0
A feeling of being unsure and slow to decide
A hidden reason for doing something that you do not say
A state of not accepting an idea because you doubt it
Antonyms
How Doubtful
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'reservation' = a doubt or misgiving and 'mental' = in the mind/internal, so together they denote an unexpressed or internal doubt. A B1 learner who knows both constituents can readily infer this sense without prior exposure.
Etymology
The phrase mental reservation comes from the idea of mental meaning 'in the mind' and reservation meaning 'holding something back'. So it means you have a private doubt or feeling you do not say out loud, which stops you from fully 'agreeing'.