Viivituse

Viivituse is an Estonian noun in the genitive form of viivitus, meaning delay, postponement, or holdup. As a concept, viivituse refers to the state or instance of being delayed rather than to the action itself. In everyday language it is used to describe delays in time, decisions, or processes, and it often appears in phrases such as viivituse tõttu (“due to the delay”).

In formal and professional contexts the term is common across multiple domains. In administration and law, viivituse can appear when discussing time limits, obligations, or the consequences of delayed performance. In logistics and transportation, it denotes late shipments, scheduling slippage, or waiting times. In information technology and systems engineering, viivituse is used to describe latency or response delays in networks, software, or hardware, where timing affects performance and user experience.

Etymology and related forms: Viivituse is derived from the verb viivitama, meaning to delay or postpone, with viivitus as the base noun for delay. The term retains a neutral to slightly formal tone and is widely understood in Estonian. Depending on context, it can convey whether a delay is considered temporary, unavoidable, or avoidable, but the basic meaning remains the same: a delay in action or timing.

See also: viivitus, viivitama.