unambiguous
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of unambiguous
Explanation
If something is unambiguous, there are no two ways to interpret it. If your girlfriend burns all your letters, texts you that she hates you, and moves a thousand miles away, the unambiguous message is that she’s finished with you. If you're nervously reading the manual on how to trap the rattlesnake that's hiding under your bed, you'd hope the instructions would be unambiguous and tell you very clearly what to do. The word unambiguous gets its meaning from un-, meaning "not," combined with the Latin -ambi-, meaning "both ways," and -agere, meaning "to drive." So unambiguous is not driving in two directions — it's going full speed ahead, in just one direction, with only one meaning.
Vocabulary lists containing unambiguous
Power Prefix: un-
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!
Now I See! Synonyms for "Clear"
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!
Invisible Man
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.
In his report, Forbes said there were "clear unambiguous warning signs" at the Beacons slipway and the exits to Conwy and Delaney Marinas.
From BBC ● Jun. 12, 2026
The jeers were loud, sustained and unambiguous — the sound of a city that overwhelmingly voted against this man, telling him exactly what it thought of him.
From Salon ● Jun. 11, 2026
Monday's filing says the trust was one of three set up for their children with "unambiguous instructions" as part of an estate plan established in 1993.
From Barron's ● Jun. 9, 2026
This approach would be brutal in execution and expensive to sustain, but unambiguous in strategic effect.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 12, 2026
A planetary system around Barnard’s Star may well have been discovered, but an unambiguous demonstration awaits further study.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
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.
