am·bi·gu·i·ty

(ăm′bĭ-gyo͞o′ĭ-tē)

n. pl. am·bi·gu·i·ties

1. Doubtfulness or uncertainty as regards interpretation: "leading a life of alleged moral ambiguity" (Anatole Broyard).

2. Something of doubtful meaning: a poem full of ambiguities.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

ambiguity

(ˌæmbɪˈɡjuːɪtɪ)

n, pl -ties

1. the possibility of interpreting an expression in two or more distinct ways

2. an instance of this, as in the sentence they are cooking apples

3. vagueness or uncertainty of meaning: there are several ambiguities in the situation.

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

am•bi•gu•i•ty

(ˌæm bɪˈgyu ɪ ti)

n., pl. -ties.

1. doubtfulness or uncertainty of meaning or intention: to speak with ambiguity.

2. the condition of admitting more than one meaning.

3. an ambiguous word, expression, etc.: a contract free of ambiguities.

[1375–1425; < Latin]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun	1.	ambiguity - an expression whose meaning cannot be determined from its context loophole - an ambiguity (especially one in the text of a law or contract) that makes it possible to evade a difficulty or obligation amphibology, amphiboly - an ambiguous grammatical construction; e.g., `they are flying planes' can mean either that someone is flying planes or that something is flying planes parisology - the use of ambiguous words double entendre - an ambiguity with one interpretation that is indelicate locution, saying, expression - a word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations; "pardon the expression"
	2.	ambiguity - unclearness by virtue of having more than one meaning equivocalness unclearness - incomprehensibility as a result of not being clear evasiveness, prevarication, equivocation - intentionally vague or ambiguous lexical ambiguity, polysemy - the ambiguity of an individual word or phrase that can be used (in different contexts) to express two or more different meanings twilight zone, no man's land - the ambiguous region between two categories or states or conditions (usually containing some features of both); "but there is still a twilight zone, the tantalizing occurrences that are probably noise but might possibly be a signal"; "in the twilight zone between humor and vulgarity"; "in that no man's land between negotiation and aggression" unambiguity, unequivocalness - clarity achieved by the avoidance of ambiguity

ambiguity

noun vagueness, doubt, puzzle, uncertainty, obscurity, enigma, equivocation, inconclusiveness, indefiniteness, dubiety, dubiousness, tergiversation, indeterminateness, equivocality, doubtfulness, equivocacy the ambiguities of language

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

ambiguity

noun

1. The quality or state of being ambiguous:

ambiguousness, cloudiness, equivocalness, indefiniteness, nebulousness, obscureness, obscurity, uncertainty, unclearness, vagueness.

2. An expression or term liable to more than one interpretation:

double-entendre, equivocality, equivocation, equivoque, tergiversation.

3. The use or an instance of equivocal language:

equivocation, equivoque, euphemism, hedge, prevarication, shuffle, tergiversation, weasel word.

Informal: waffle.

Translations

غُمُوض

dvojsmysldvojznačnostmnohoznačnost

tvetydighed

Ambivalenz Doppeldeutigkeit

ambigüedad dilogía

ambiguïté ambivalence

ambigvitet

kettõs értelem

tvíræîni

ambiguit...ambiguità equivoco

tvetydighet

ambigüidade

двусмысленность неясность

dvojznačnosť

belirsizlikiki anlamlılık

意义含糊歧义

ambiguity

[ˌæmbɪˈgjʊɪtɪ] N (= lack of clarity) → ambigüedad f; [of meaning] → doble sentido m

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

ambiguity

[ˌæmbɪˈgjuːɪti] n → ambiguïté f

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

ambiguity

n → Zwei- or Doppeldeutigkeit f; (of joke, comment etc) → Zweideutigkeit f; (with many possible meanings) → Mehr- or Vieldeutigkeit f

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

ambiguity

[ˌæmbɪˈgjʊɪtɪ] n → ambiguità f inv

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

ambiguous

(ӕmˈbigjuəs) adjective

having more than one possible meaning. After the cat caught the mouse, it died is an ambiguous statement (ie it is not clear whether it = the cat or = the mouse).

amˈbiguously adverb

ˌambiˈguity (-ˈgjuː-) noun

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

Or again, by ambiguity of meaning,--as {pi alpha rho omega chi eta kappa epsilon nu / delta epsilon / pi lambda epsilon omega / nu upsilon xi}, where the word {pi lambda epsilon omega} is ambiguous.

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The consciousness of good intentions disdains ambiguity. I shall not, however, multiply professions on this head.

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The sums are the scoundrel's share, and where he feared an ambiguity, you see he added something clearer.

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"Ascribe it all to that fatal, heart-thrilling, hope-inspiring 'yes,' loveliest of human females," continued Tom, kneeling with some caution, lest the straps of his pantaloons should give way--"Impute all to your own lucid ambiguity, and to the torments of hope that I experience.

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There was no ambiguity in anything; none whatever, at least, in the conviction I from one moment to another found myself forming as to what I should see straight before me and across the lake as a consequence of raising my eyes.

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"Ever since I was sixteen I have been used to horses," was the reply of Antonio to the question of Charles--Julia smiled at the ambiguity of the answer, and was confirmed in her impression that he had left college at that age to serve in the cavalry.

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In her secret soul, however, she decided that politics were as bad as mathematics, and the the mission of politicians seemed to be calling each other names, but she kept these feminine ideas to herself, and when John paused, shook her head and said with what she thought diplomatic ambiguity, "Well, I really don't see what we are coming to."

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Thus, from beneath the black veil, there rolled a cloud into the sunshine, an ambiguity of sin or sorrow, which enveloped the poor minister, so that love or sympathy could never reach him.

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There was an ambiguity about this person's character,--a stain upon his reputation,--yet none could tell precisely of what nature, although the city gossips, male and female, whispered the most atrocious surmises.

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The first of these theories, namely, that which regards discomfort and pleasure as actual contents in those who experience them, has, I think, nothing conclusive to be said in its favour.* It is suggested chiefly by an ambiguity in the word "pain," which has misled many people, including Berkeley, whom it supplied with one of his arguments for subjective idealism.

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She wore two crucifixes, which got themselves entangled in a heavy gold chain upon her breast, and seemed to Mary expressive of her mental ambiguity. Only her vast enthusiasm and her worship of Miss Markham, one of the pioneers of the society, kept her in her place, for which she had no sound qualification.

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It was as if a sudden illumination had been flashed upon the ambiguity of Daisy's behavior, and the riddle had become easy to read.

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