ambiguity

American  

[am-bi-gyoo-i-tee] / ˌæm bɪˈgyu ɪ ti /

noun

ambiguities plural

1. doubtfulness or uncertainty of meaning or intention.

   to speak with ambiguity;

   an ambiguity of manner.

   Synonyms:

   deceptiveness, vagueness

   Antonyms:

   clarity, explicitness

2. an unclear, indefinite, or equivocal word, expression, meaning, etc..

   a contract free of ambiguities;

   the ambiguities of modern poetry.

   Synonyms:

   equivocation

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ambiguity British  

/ ˌæmbɪˈɡjuːɪtɪ /

noun

1. the possibility of interpreting an expression in two or more distinct ways

2. an instance of this, as in the sentence they are cooking apples

3. vagueness or uncertainty of meaning

   there are several ambiguities in the situation

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Other Word Forms

• nonambiguity
  noun

Etymology

Origin of ambiguity

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English ambiguite, from Latin ambiguitās, equivalent to ambigu(us) ambiguous ( def. ) + -itās -ity ( def. )

Explanation

Something with ambiguity is unclear. Think about the sentence, "Jill saw the man with binoculars." If you are wondering whether Jill or the man had the binoculars, you are noticing the ambiguity, or the double meaning, of this sentence. Lawyers word contracts to avoid ambiguity, but in doing so prevent anyone who is not a lawyer from understanding what they have written! If you can't choose between two decisions because both seem somehow wrong, you are dealing with moral ambiguity. Imagine if a friend who has helped you out many times asks you to cheat. It's wrong to cheat but it also seems wrong not to help someone who has been there for you.

Example Sentences

Some hospitals in states with bans have provided similar prewritten language their physicians can use to remove ambiguity about why an abortion falls under an emergency exception.

From Salon • May 27, 2026

You isolate the question, define the terms, anticipate the ambiguity.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026

For Cage, it’s a combination of its visual aesthetic and the moral ambiguity of the mysteries and illicit affairs in film noir that have made the genre endure among cinephiles.

From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 2026

The role’s ambiguity, offering no hint of seniority or rank, is by design.

From MarketWatch • May 9, 2026

With the A form, the argument for a helix was never straightforward, and considerable ambiguity existed as to exactly which type of helical symmetry was present.

From "Double Helix" by James D. Watson

Related Words

• doubt
• uncertainty
• vagueness