ambiguous

am·big·u·ous  (m-bgy-s)

adj.

1. Open to more than one interpretation: an ambiguous reply.

2. Doubtful or uncertain: "The theatrical status of her frequently derided but constantly revived plays remained ambiguous" (Frank Rich).

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[From Latin ambiguus, uncertain, from ambigere, to go about : amb-, ambi-, around; see ambi- + agere, to drive; see ag- in Indo-European roots.]

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am·bigu·ous·ly adv.

am·bigu·ous·ness n.

Synonyms: ambiguous, equivocal, obscure, recondite, abstruse, vague, cryptic, enigmatic
These adjectives mean lacking clarity of meaning. Ambiguous indicates the presence of two or more possible meanings: Frustrated by ambiguous instructions, I was unable to assemble the toy.
Something equivocal is unclear or misleading: "The polling had a complex and equivocal message for potential female candidates" (David S. Broder).
Obscure implies lack of clarity of expression: Some say that Blake's style is obscure and complex.
Recondite and abstruse connote the erudite obscurity of the scholar: "some recondite problem in historiography" (Walter Laqueur). The students avoided the professor's abstruse lectures.
What is vague is expressed in indefinite form or reflects imprecision of thought: "Vague . . . forms of speech . . . have so long passed for mysteries of science" (John Locke).
Cryptic suggests a sometimes deliberately puzzling terseness: The new insurance policy is full of cryptic terms.
Something enigmatic is mysterious and puzzling: The biography struggles to make sense of the artist's enigmatic life.

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ambiguous [æmˈbɪgjʊəs]

adj

1. having more than one possible interpretation or meaning

2. difficult to understand or classify; obscure

[from Latin ambiguus going here and there, uncertain, from ambigere to go around, from ambi- + agere to lead, act]

ambiguously  adv

ambiguousness  n

Thesaurus

Adj.	1.	ambiguous - open to two or more interpretations; or of uncertain nature or significance; or (often) intended to mislead; "an equivocal statement"; "the polling had a complex and equivocal (or ambiguous) message for potential female candidates"; "the officer's equivocal behavior increased the victim's uneasiness"; "popularity is an equivocal crown"; "an equivocal response to an embarrassing question" equivocal ambiguous - having more than one possible meaning; "ambiguous words"; "frustrated by ambiguous instructions, the parents were unable to assemble the toy"
	2.	ambiguous - having more than one possible meaning; "ambiguous words"; "frustrated by ambiguous instructions, the parents were unable to assemble the toy" unclear - not clear to the mind; "the law itself was unclear on that point"; "the reason for their actions is unclear to this day" ambiguous, equivocal - open to two or more interpretations; or of uncertain nature or significance; or (often) intended to mislead; "an equivocal statement"; "the polling had a complex and equivocal (or ambiguous) message for potential female candidates"; "the officer's equivocal behavior increased the victim's uneasiness"; "popularity is an equivocal crown"; "an equivocal response to an embarrassing question" unambiguous - having or exhibiting a single clearly defined meaning; "As a horror, apartheid...is absolutely unambiguous"- Mario Vargas Llosa
	3.	ambiguous - having no intrinsic or objective meaning; not organized in conventional patterns; "an ambiguous situation with no frame of reference"; "ambiguous inkblots" psychological science, psychology - the science of mental life unstructured - lacking definite structure or organization; "an unstructured situation with no one in authority"; "a neighborhood gang with a relatively unstructured system"; "children in an unstructured environment often feel insecure"; "unstructured inkblots"

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ambiguous

adjective unclear, puzzling, uncertain, obscure, vague, doubtful, dubious, enigmatic, indefinite, inconclusive, cryptic, indeterminate, equivocal, Delphic, oracular, enigmatical, clear as mud (informal) His remarks clarify an ambiguous statement given earlier this week.
clear, simple, specific, obvious, plain, explicit, definite, unmistakable, unequivocal, unquestionable

Translations

ambiguous [æmˈbɪgjʊəs] ADJ [remark, meaning] → ambiguo

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ambiguous [æmˈbɪgjuəs] adj

(= open to more than one interpretation) [message, statement, language, definition] → ambigu(ë)

(= equivocal) [feelings, relationship] → équivoque

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ambiguous

adj → zwei- or doppeldeutig; joke, comment etc → zweideutig; (= with many possible meanings) → mehr- or vieldeutig

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ambiguous [æmˈbɪgjʊəs] adj → ambiguo/a

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ambiguous

adj ambiguous [ӕmˈbigjuəs]

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). dubbelsinnig غَامِض двусмислен dvojznačný tvetydig doppeldeutig διφορούμενος ambiguo mitmetähenduslik مبهم؛ دوپهلو monitulkintainen ambigu דוּ-מַשמָעִי द्वयर्थी dvosmislen kétértelmű arti mendua, taksa, ambigu tvíræður, margræður ambiguo あいまいな 모호한 dviprasmiškas divdomīgs; neskaidrs samar dubbelzinnig tvetydig dwuznaczny ambíguo ambiguu двусмысленный dvojznačný dvoumen dvosmislen tvetydig ที่กำกวม; คลุมเครือ anlamı belirsiz 意思含糊的，模稜兩可的 двозначний; неясний مبہم mơ hồ 可能有两种以上解释的

adv amˈbiguously

dubbelsinnig بِصُورَة غَامِضَه двусмислено dvojznačně tvetydigt doppeldeutig ασαφώς, διφορούμενα ambiguamente, de forma ambigua mitmemõtteliselt بطور مبهم monitulkintaisesti de façon ambiguë בְּצוָּרה דוּ-מַשמָעִית द्वयर्थी रूप से dvosmisleno kétértelműen secara mendua, secara taksa á tvíræðan hátt in modo ambiguo あいまいに 모호하게 dviprasmiškai divdomīgi; neskaidri samar dubbelzinnig tvetydig dwuznacznie ambiguamente (în mod) ambiguu двусмысленно dvojzmyselne dvoumno dvosmisleno tvetydigt อย่างกำกวม; อย่างคลุมเครือ anlamı belirsiz bir şekilde 模稜兩可地 двозначно; неясно مبہم طور پر mơ hồ 模棱两可地

n ambiˈguity [-ˈgjuː-]

dubbelsinnigheid غُمُوض двусмислие dvojznačnost tvetydighed die Doppeldeutigkeit ασάφεια ambigüedad mitmemõttelisus ابهام moniselitteisyys ambiguïté דוּ-מַשׁמָעוּת द्वयर्थी dvosmislenost kétértelműség, kettős értelem tvíræðni ambiguità 不明瞭さ 불명료 dviprasmiškumas divdomība; neskaidrība kesamaran dubbelzinnigheid tvetydighet dwuznaczność ambiguidade ambiguitate двусмысленность dvojznačnosť dvoumnost dvosmislenost tvetydighet ความกำกวม belirsizlik, iki anlamlılık 意義含糊；歧義 двозначність, неясність ابہام sự mơ hồ 意义含糊；歧义