ambiguous
Americanadjective
-
open to or having several possible meanings or interpretations; equivocal.
an ambiguous answer.
- Antonyms:
- explicit
-
Linguistics. (of an expression) exhibiting constructional homonymity; having two or more structural descriptions, as the sequence Flying planes can be dangerous.
-
of doubtful or uncertain nature; difficult to comprehend, distinguish, or classify.
a rock of ambiguous character.
- Synonyms:
- anomalous, problematic, indeterminate, vague, dubious
- Antonyms:
- certain
-
lacking clearness or definiteness; obscure; indistinct: an ambiguous future.
an ambiguous shape;
an ambiguous future.
- Antonyms:
- unambiguous, precise, clear
adjective
-
having more than one possible interpretation or meaning
-
difficult to understand or classify; obscure
Related Words
ambiguous, equivocal, cryptic, enigmatic describe conditions or statements not clear in meaning. ambiguous can refer to a statement, act, or attitude that is capable of two or more often contradictory interpretations, usually accidentally or unintentionally so: an ambiguous passage in the preamble. equivocal, usually applied to spoken as well as written language, also means susceptible of two or more interpretations, and it usually suggests a deliberate intent to mislead by avoiding clarity: saving face with an equivocal response to an embarrassing question. cryptic usually refers to intentional obscurity, especially in language, and often implies a private or hidden meaning but stresses resultant mystification or puzzlement: a cryptic remark that left us struggling to interpret his intention. enigmatic focuses on perplexity resulting from a mysterious or imponderable event or utterance, often one of great importance or deep significance: prophetic texts so enigmatic that their meaning has been disputed for centuries.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of ambiguous
First recorded in 1480–1500; from Latin ambiguus, equivalent to ambig(ere) “to dispute, contend; be undecided, doubt” (from ambi- prefix meaning “both, around” + -igere combining form of agere “to drive, lead, act”) + -uus adjective suffix; see origin at ambi-; see -ous
Explanation
Look to the adjective ambiguous when you need to describe something that's open to more than one interpretation, like the headline "Squad helps dog bite victim." Newspaper headlines can be unintentionally funny when they're ambiguous. In "Squad helps dog bite victim," is the squad helping a victim of a dog bite or helping a dog bite a victim? The ambi- prefix means "both ways," while the guous part is from the Latin verb agere, "to lead or drive." Thus an ambiguous sentence or situation drives us in two different directions at once. The accent is on the second syllable, "big," which you can remember since something that's ambiguous can lead to big misunderstandings.
Vocabulary lists containing ambiguous
Essential Academic Vocabulary for High School Students, List 1
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
100 SAT Words Beginning with "A"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Grade 9, List 1
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
That lack of fear percolates through Ambiguous Desire, where every pang of doubt is offset by a moment of euphoria or beauty.
From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026
Ambiguous business interruption policy wordings led to a slew of court cases across the world in the past two years over whether or not the COVID-19 pandemic was covered by insurance.
From Reuters • Apr. 8, 2022
Ursula K. LeGuin's 1974 book, "The Dispossessed: An Ambiguous Utopia," is exemplary in this regard.
From Salon • Feb. 19, 2022
Ambiguous court rulings and lack of legislative clarity have caused agencies to fear that unless they “abide by everything the company wants,” they risk being sued themselves for intellectual property theft.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 28, 2022
Donor, Ambiguous Provision.—The religious convictions of the donor may be shown for the purpose of construing an ambiguous provision of a deed or will.488 273.
From The Clergyman's Hand-book of Law by Scanlan, Charles M.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
