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 Kafka'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

ambiguous [æmˈbɪgjuəs] adj → ambigu(ë)

ambiguous [æmˈbɪgjuəs] ambiguity adj → zweideutig;

(not clear) → unklar

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).dubbelsinnigغَامِضдвусмисленdvojznačnýtvetydigdoppeldeutigδιφορούμενοςambiguomitmetähenduslikمبهم؛ دوپهلوmoniselitteinenambiguדוּ-מַשמָעִיद्वयर्थीdvosmislenkétértelműarti mendua, taksa, ambigutvíræður, margræðurambiguoあいまいな애매한dviprasmiškasdivdomīgs; neskaidrssamardubbelzinnigtvetydigdwuznacznyambíguoambiguuдвусмысленныйdvojznačnýdvoumendvosmislentvetydigที่กำกวม; คลุมเครือanlamı belirsiz意思含糊的，含糊的двозначний; неяснийمبہمmơ hồ可能有两种以上解释的

adv amˈbiguously

dubbelsinnigبِصُورَة غَامِضَهдвусмисленоdvojznačnětvetydigtdoppeldeutigασαφώς, διφορούμεναambiguamente, de forma ambiguamitmemõtteliseltبطور مبهمmoniselitteisestide façon ambiguëבְּצוָּרה דוּ-מַשמָעִיתद्वयर्थी रूप सेdvosmislenokétértelműensecara mendua, secara taksaá tvíræðan háttin modo ambiguoあいまいに애매모호하게dviprasmiškaidivdomīgi; neskaidrisamardubbelzinnigtvetydigdwuznacznieambiguamente(în mod) ambiguuдвусмысленноdvojzmyselnedvoumnodvosmislenotvetydigtอย่างกำกวม; อย่างคลุมเครือanlamı belirsiz bir şekilde模棱兩可地двозначно; неясноمبہم طور پرmơ hồ模棱两可地

n ˌambiˈguity [-ˈgjuː-]

dubbelsinnigheidغُمُوضдвусмислиеdvojznačnosttvetydigheddie Doppeldeutigkeitασάφειαambigüedadmitmemõttelisusابهامmoniselitteisyysambiguïtéדוּ-מַשׁמָעוּתद्वयर्थीdvosmislenostkétértelműség, kettős értelemtvíræðniambiguità不明瞭さ불명료dviprasmiškumasdivdomība; neskaidrībakesamarandubbelzinnigheidtvetydighetdwuznacznośćambiguidadeambiguitateдвусмысленностьdvojznačnosťdvoumnostdvosmislenosttvetydighetความกำกวมbelirsizlik, iki anlamlılık意義含糊；歧義двозначність, неясністьابہامsự mơ hồ意义含糊；歧义