amphiboly

American  

[am-fib-uh-lee] / æmˈfɪb ə li /

noun

amphibolies plural

1. ambiguity of speech, especially from uncertainty of the grammatical construction rather than of the meaning of the words, as in The Duke yet lives that Henry shall depose.

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• amphibolies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of amphiboly

1580–90; < Latin amphibolia < Greek. See amphibolous, -y ³

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

amphiboly

For this reason, the exposition of the cause of the amphiboly of these conceptions, as the origin of these false principles, is of great utility in determining with certainty the proper limits of the understanding.

From The Critique of Pure Reason by Meiklejohn, John Miller Dow

An instance of amphiboly may be read on the walls of Windsor Castle—Hoc fecit Wykeham.

From Deductive Logic by Stock, St. George William Joseph

If it oracle contrary to our interest or humor, we will create an amphiboly, a double meaning where there is none.

From Webster's Unabridged Dictionary by Webster, Noah