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.

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

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.

prevaricate

Past participle: prevaricated
Gerund: prevaricating

Imperative

prevaricate

prevaricate

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

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

prevaricate

verb

1. To stray from truthfulness or sincerity:

equivocate, palter, shuffle.

2. To make untrue declarations:

falsify, fib, forswear, lie.

Law: perjure.

Translations

bugiamentireprevaricare

prevaricate

[prɪˈværɪkeɪt] VI → andar con rodeos

prevaricate

[prɪˈværɪkeɪt] vi → tergiverser

prevaricate

vi → Ausflüchte machen

prevaricate

[prɪˈværɪˌkeɪt] vi → tergiversare