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

Adjective

having more than one possible interpretation [Latin ambigere to go around]

ambiguously adv

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) << OPPOSITE clear

Translations

ambiguous [æmˈbɪgjuəs] adj → ambiguo

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ambiguous [æmˈbɪgjuəs] adj → ambigu(ë)

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ambiguous [æmˈbɪgjuəs] ambiguity adj → zweideutig;

(not clear) → unklar

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ambiguous [æmˈbɪgjuəs] 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 moniselitteinen ambigu דוּ-מַשמָעִי द्वयर्थी dvosmislen kétértelmű arti mendua, taksa, ambigu tvíræður, margræður ambiguo あいまいな 애매한 dviprasmiškas divdomīgs; neskaidrs samar dubbelzinnig tvetydig dwuznaczny ambíguo ambiguu двусмысленный dvojznačný dvoumen dvosmislen tvetydig ที่กำกวม; คลุมเครือ anlamı belirsiz 意思含糊的，含糊的 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 moniselitteisesti 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 애매모호하게 dviprasmiškai divdomīgi; neskaidri samar dubbelzinnig tvetydig dwuznacznie ambiguamente (în mod) ambiguu двусмысленно dvojzmyselne dvoumno dvosmisleno tvetydigt อย่างกำกวม; อย่างคลุมเครือ anlamı belirsiz bir şekilde 模棱兩可地 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