prevaricate

American  

[pri-var-i-keyt] / prɪˈvær ɪˌkeɪt /

verb (used without object)

• prevaricates,
  present (3rd person singular)
• prevaricated,
  past participle,  past
• prevaricating
  present participle

1. to speak falsely or misleadingly; deliberately misstate or create an incorrect impression; lie.

   Synonyms:

   shift, evade

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prevaricate British  

/ prɪˈværɪˌkeɪt /

verb

1. (intr) to speak or act falsely or evasively with intent to deceive

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• prevarication
  noun
• prevaricator
  noun
• prevaricative
  adjective
• prevaricatory
  adjective
• unprevaricating
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• prevaricating
  present
• prevaricated
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• prevaricate
  simple
• prevaricates
  simple
• have prevaricated
  perfect
• has prevaricated
  perfect
• am prevaricating
  progressive
• are prevaricating
  progressive
• is prevaricating
  progressive
• have been prevaricating
  perfect progressive
• has been prevaricating
  perfect progressive

Past

• prevaricated
  simple
• had prevaricated
  perfect
• was prevaricating
  progressive
• were prevaricating
  progressive
• had been prevaricating
  perfect progressive

Future

• will prevaricate
  simple
• will have prevaricated
  perfect
• will be prevaricating
  progressive
• will have been prevaricating
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of prevaricate

1575–85; < Latin praevāricātus, past participle of praevāricārī to straddle something, (of an advocate) collude with an opponent's advocate, equivalent to prae- pre- + vāricāre to straddle, derivative of vārus bent outwards, bow-legged

Explanation

When you prevaricate, you lie or mislead. Now, go ahead and tell me whether you already knew that meaning, and don’t prevaricate about it — give me the story straight! While prevaricate basically means to lie, it also has the sense of making it hard to know exactly what the lie was. You talk in a confusing way, go back and forth, and as deliberately as possible mislead someone. Government officials, bureaucrats, and sneaky types prevaricate in the hopes that it will be too difficult to figure out whether they've been doing something wrong. Don't prevaricate with your parents — it will definitely make you look guilty, but they just won't be sure of what!

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

prevaricate prevaricates prevaricated prevaricating

While Mr. Rees is keen to dispel the myths ginned up by imperial writers, he doesn’t prevaricate when the evidence shows that their fears may not have been entirely unfounded.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2025

That suggests Sir Keir won't prevaricate in offering his own judgement about Sir Laurie Magnus's findings once he himself has them.

From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2025

So, why did the three college presidents prevaricate when asked how they would respond to such language?

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 14, 2023

On these issues, he does not prevaricate or tell lies.

From Salon ● Oct. 7, 2022

I wonder that you should care to prevaricate with me so idly.”

From The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson - Swanston Edition Vol. 20 (of 25) by Robert Louis Stevenson

"Yes. Mm-hmm. Yes. We just need to respect our viewership," he prevaricates.

From Salon ● May 15, 2023

It leaves Wickremesinghe nominally in charge but on an acting basis, as Gotabaya prevaricates over formally rescinding his role.

From Reuters ● Jul. 13, 2022

"Oh, you can't sum up Tom Jones in four words, you just can't," he prevaricates.

From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2019

And in doing so, she congenitally lies and prevaricates — and gets caught in those lies and prevarications,” Mr. Klein says.

From Washington Times ● Oct. 21, 2015

Prēvaricā′tion, the act of quibbling to evade the truth; Prēvar′icātor, one who prevaricates to evade the truth: a quibbler.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 3 of 4: N-R) by Various

“This is not about separating what we built together,” prevaricated Comcast co-CEO Brian Roberts, explaining a deal that’s all about separating what was previously put together.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026

He is coming into the tournament off a short run-up after England flatlined under his predecessor Eddie Jones and the Rugby Football Union prevaricated over P45s.

From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2023

They prevaricated, assuring the public there was nothing to worry about.

From New York Times ● Oct. 1, 2021

Churchill earned loathing in Wales for his actions as interior minister in 1910 when he first prevaricated but eventually sent troops in to support police trying to quell riots by striking miners in Tonypandy.

From Reuters ● Feb. 15, 2019

"Do I understand you to insinuate that the Marchioness has prevaricated?"

From Parlous Times A Novel of Modern Diplomacy by David Dwight Wells

After days of conflicting statements and prevaricating, he sent Leavitt out to offer a message that was sure to make everyone mad: He will decide in "two weeks."

From Salon ● Jun. 23, 2025

Following years of prevaricating, Germany pledged to quit nuclear power definitively after Japan's 2011 Fukushima disaster sent radiation spewing into the air and terrifying the world.

From Reuters ● Apr. 14, 2023

It made sense to him why defendants lied, he would say, but to find a cop prevaricating felt like a personal betrayal.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 27, 2021

And the best thing to do when prevaricating fraudsters lie to you is not to doubt your sanity or to slide under the torpor of “who can know” hopelessness.

From Slate ● Mar. 31, 2021

But to Mrs. Kilgore he very naturally seemed to be prevaricating.

From Two Days' Solitary Imprisonment 1898 by Edward Bellamy