| ADJECTIVE | all | ambiguous, equivocal | open to two or more interpretations |
|---|---|---|---|
| all | ambiguous | having more than one possible meaning / meaning | |
| all | ambiguous | having no intrinsic or objective meaning / meaning |
| Sounds | aembih'gyuwahs | |
|---|---|---|
| Rhymes | abacus ... zealous: 1164 rhymes with ahs... | |
| Meaning | open to two or more interpretations; or of uncertain nature or significance; or (often) intended to mislead. | |
|---|---|---|
| Example | "the polling had a complex and equivocal (or ambiguous) message for potential female candidates" | |
| Synonym | equivocal | |
| Narrower | double, forked | Having two meanings with intent to deceive |
| evasive | deliberately vague or ambiguous | |
| indeterminate | Of uncertain or ambiguous nature | |
| See also | ambiguous | Having more than one possible meaning / meaning |
| Opposite | unequivocal, univocal, unambiguous | Admitting of no doubt or misunderstanding |
| Spanish | ambigua, ambiguo, equívoco | |
| Catalan | ambigu | |
| Nouns | ambiguity | unclearness by virtue of having more than one meaning / meaning |
| ambiguity | an expression whose meaning / meaning cannot be determined from its context | |
| Meaning | Having more than one possible meaning / meaning. | |
|---|---|---|
| Examples |
| |
| Narrower | double-barreled, double-barrelled | Having two purposes |
| double-edged | capable of being interpreted in two usually contradictory ways | |
| enigmatic, oracular | resembling an oracle in obscurity of thought | |
| left-handed | ironically ambiguous | |
| multivalent, multi-valued | Having many values, meanings, or appeals | |
| polysemous, polysemantic | Of words | |
| uncertain | ambiguous (especially in the negative) | |
| See also | equivocal, ambiguous | open to two or more interpretations |
| unclear | not clear to the mind | |
| Opposite | unambiguous | Having or exhibiting a single clearly / clearly defined meaning |
| Spanish | ambiguo | |
| Catalan | ambigu | |
| Nouns | ambiguity | unclearness by virtue of having more than one meaning / meaning |
| Adverbs | ambiguously | in an ambiguous manner |
| Meaning | Having no intrinsic or objective meaning / meaning; not organized in conventional patterns. | |
|---|---|---|
| Examples |
| |
| Category | psychology, psychological science | The science of mental life |
| Broader | unstructured | lacking definite structure or organization |
| Nouns | ambiguity | an expression whose meaning / meaning cannot be determined from its context |
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