Cryptic crossword clue
Element of hesitation shown by architect for the most part

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word PALLADIUM

I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
P
A
L
L
A
D
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M

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Element" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case element = palladium.
The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.
This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.

What does PALLADIUM mean?

PALLADIUM noun
  1. A safeguard.
PALLADIUM noun
  1. A chemical element (symbol Pd) with an atomic number of 46: a rare, lustrous silvery-white metal.
  2. A single atom of this element.

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