prevaricate

pre·var·i·cate

 (prĭ-văr′ĭ-kāt′)

v. pre·var·i·cat·ed, pre·var·i·cat·ing, pre·var·i·cates

v.intr.

1. To speak or write evasively. See Synonyms at lie².

2. (Usage Problem) To behave in an indecisive manner; delay or procrastinate.

v.tr.

To utter or say in an evasive manner.

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[Latin praevāricārī, praevāricāt-, to straddle across (something), collude (used of lawyers) : prae-, pre- + vāricāre, to straddle (from vāricus, straddling, from vārus, bow-legged, bandy).]

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pre·var′i·ca′tion n.

pre·var′i·ca′tor n.

Usage Note: The traditional meaning of prevaricate is "to speak or write evasively." In recent years, a second sense has developed, meaning "to behave in an indecisive manner; delay or procrastinate," perhaps influenced by equivocate, which primarily means "to speak evasively" but can also mean "to be indecisive." In American English, this second sense is widely considered an error, and a large majority of the Usage Panel finds it unacceptable. In 2011, 78 percent of the Panel disapproved of the "delay" sense of the word as used in the sentence He prevaricated for some two years before accepting the new design for production. This usage is more commonly encountered in British English, as in this quotation from the BBC News: As the industry prevaricated, sales collapsed.

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.

prevaricate

(prɪˈværɪˌkeɪt)

vb

(intr) to speak or act falsely or evasively with intent to deceive

[C16: from Latin praevāricārī to walk crookedly, from prae beyond + vāricare to straddle the legs; compare Latin vārus bent]

preˌvariˈcation n

preˈvariˌcator n

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

pre•var•i•cate

(prɪˈvær ɪˌkeɪt)

v.i. -cat•ed, -cat•ing.

to speak falsely, misleadingly, or so as to avoid the truth; deliberately misstate; equivocate; lie.

[1575–85; < Latin praevāricātus, past participle of praevāricārī to straddle something, (of an advocate) collude with an opponent's advocate]

pre•var`i•ca′tion, n.

pre•var′i•ca`tor, n.

Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

prevaricate

Past participle: prevaricated
Gerund: prevaricating

Imperative

prevaricate

prevaricate

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

Thesaurus

Verb

1.

prevaricate - be deliberately ambiguous or unclear in order to mislead or withhold information beat around the bush, equivocate, palter, tergiversate misinform, mislead - give false or misleading information to

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

prevaricate

verb evade, lie, shift, hedge, shuffle, dodge, deceive, flannel (Brit. informal), quibble, beg the question, beat about the bush, cavil, equivocate, stretch the truth, palter, give a false colour to British ministers continued to prevaricate on the issue.
be direct, be frank, be straightforward, be blunt, come straight to the point, not beat about the bush

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

prevaricate

verb

1. To stray from truthfulness or sincerity:

equivocate, palter, shuffle.

2. To make untrue declarations:

falsify, fib, forswear, lie.

Law: perjure.

The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Translations

bugiamentireprevaricare

prevaricate

[prɪˈværɪkeɪt] VI → andar con rodeos

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

prevaricate

[prɪˈværɪkeɪt] vi → tergiverser

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

prevaricate

vi → Ausflüchte machen

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

prevaricate

[prɪˈværɪˌkeɪt] vi → tergiversare

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995