What does "reluctant" mean?

1. (defiant) showing strong resistance or being difficult to control. 2. (non-greedy matching) in computer programming, matching as little text as possible when searching.

reluctant

adj.

US //ɹiˈɫəktənt// UK //ɹɪlˈʌktənt// re·luc·tant

1 defiant (adj.)
C2 Proficiency Archaic Literary

showing strong resistance or being difficult to control.

exhibiting resistance, defiance, or a refractory nature.

Example

The reluctant horse refused to move even when offered a carrot.

Example

The poet described the reluctant soil of the wasteland, which resisted every attempt at cultivation by the weary farmers.
- compliant
- obedient
2 non-greedy matching (adj.)
C1 Advanced Technical Computing

in computer programming, matching as little text as possible when searching.

describing a quantifier that matches the shortest possible string; also known as non-greedy.

Example

You should use a reluctant quantifier if you only want to find the first match.

Example

By default, the engine uses greedy matching, but you can switch to a reluctant approach to capture the smallest possible substring.
- non greedy
- lazy
- greedy

Origin

Learned borrowing from Latin reluctāns, present participle of reluctor (“to struggle against, oppose, resist”), from re- (“back”) + luctor (“to struggle”).