prevaricate

American  

[pri-var-i-keyt] / prɪˈvær ɪˌkeɪt /

verb (used without object)

prevaricated, prevaricating

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

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

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

"Prevaricate not, nor think to blind me," he answered.

From The Knight of the Golden Melice A Historical Romance by Adams, John Turvill