prevarication

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.

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	prevarication - a statement that deviates from or perverts the truth lie falsehood, untruth, falsity - a false statement fib, taradiddle, tarradiddle, tale, story - a trivial lie; "he told a fib about eating his spinach"; "how can I stop my child from telling stories?" jactitation - (law) a false boast that can harm others; especially a false claim to be married to someone (formerly actionable at law) whopper, walloper - a gross untruth; a blatant lie white lie - an unimportant lie (especially one told to be tactful or polite)
	2.	prevarication - intentionally vague or ambiguous evasiveness, equivocation equivocalness, ambiguity - unclearness by virtue of having more than one meaning untruthfulness - the quality of being untruthful
	3.	prevarication - the deliberate act of deviating from the truth lying, fabrication falsification, misrepresentation - a willful perversion of facts fibbing, paltering - a trivial act of lying or being deliberately unclear

prevarication

noun evasion, lies, deception, pretence, deceit, quibbling, misrepresentation, falsehood, untruth, falsification, equivocation, cavilling After months of prevarication, a decision has been made.

prevarication

noun

1. The use or an instance of equivocal language:

ambiguity, equivocation, equivoque, euphemism, hedge, shuffle, tergiversation, weasel word.

Informal: waffle.

2. An untrue declaration:

canard, cock-and-bull story, falsehood, falsity, fib, fiction, inveracity, lie, misrepresentation, misstatement, story, tale, untruth.

Informal: fish story, tall tale.

Slang: whopper.

Translations

bugia

utflukt

prevarication

[prɪˌværɪˈkeɪʃən] N → evasivas fpl

prevarication

[prɪˌværɪˈkeɪʃ^ən] n → atermoiements mpl
I'm tired of his prevarication → je suis las de ses atermoiements

prevarication

n → Ausflucht f; (= prevaricating) → Ausflüchte pl, → Ausweichmanöver pl

prevarication

[prɪˌværɪˈkeɪʃ/ən] n → tergiversazione f