noun

aversion

uh-VUR-zhun/əˈvɜːrʒn/

A strong dislike of or reluctance toward something.

The man recoils from the offered olives with unmistakable aversion.

A white adult man recoils in strong dislike from a bowl of olives offered across a table.

Etymology

aLatinaway from

+versLatinto turn

+ionLatinaction or process

Aversion names a “turning away.” Its earlier literal sense became a mental turning away from something repugnant or unwelcome, giving the current meaning of strong dislike or unwillingness.

In context

misesmedia39:18

the widest range of future contingencies. The investment in cash balances is an investment contra the subjectively felt aversion to uncertainty. A larger cash balance brings more relief from uncertainty aversion.

Panel: The Significance of Hans-Hermann Hoppe

More examples

He developed an aversion to the smell after becoming ill.
The survey asks about food preferences and aversions.
Their aversion to risk shaped the investment decision.

Forms

aversion · aversions

averse adjective — Strongly opposed or reluctant to do something.

Similar words

dislike: Can be milder and need not involve avoidance.
reluctance: Emphasizes unwillingness to act rather than a strong negative feeling.