ambiguity

American  

[am-bi-gyoo-i-tee] / ˌæm bɪˈgyu ɪ ti /

noun

plural

ambiguities

1. doubtfulness or uncertainty of meaning or intention.

   to speak with ambiguity;

   an ambiguity of manner.

   Synonyms:

   deceptiveness, vagueness

   Antonyms:

   clarity, explicitness

2. an unclear, indefinite, or equivocal word, expression, meaning, etc..

   a contract free of ambiguities;

   the ambiguities of modern poetry.

   Synonyms:

   equivocation

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ambiguity British  

/ ˌæmbɪˈɡjuːɪtɪ /

noun

1. the possibility of interpreting an expression in two or more distinct ways

2. an instance of this, as in the sentence they are cooking apples

3. vagueness or uncertainty of meaning

   there are several ambiguities in the situation

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Other Word Forms

• nonambiguity
  noun

Etymology

Origin of ambiguity

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English ambiguite, from Latin ambiguitās, equivalent to ambigu(us) ambiguous ( def. ) + -itās -ity ( def. )

Explanation

Something with ambiguity is unclear. Think about the sentence, "Jill saw the man with binoculars." If you are wondering whether Jill or the man had the binoculars, you are noticing the ambiguity, or the double meaning, of this sentence. Lawyers word contracts to avoid ambiguity, but in doing so prevent anyone who is not a lawyer from understanding what they have written! If you can't choose between two decisions because both seem somehow wrong, you are dealing with moral ambiguity. Imagine if a friend who has helped you out many times asks you to cheat. It's wrong to cheat but it also seems wrong not to help someone who has been there for you.

Example Sentences

An AI version of a CEO can’t manage ambiguity or support people when anxiety is high.

From MarketWatch • May 6, 2026

All of this ambiguity is intentional, sewn into the script with as much care as Sam stitches her dresses.

From Salon • Apr. 24, 2026

Another news agency, Tasnim, described it as a "bad and incomplete tweet that created misleading ambiguity about the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz".

From BBC • Apr. 19, 2026

Contemporary newspaper reports suggested that Woods sometimes allowed rumors to circulate that he was Australian rather than African-American, an ambiguity that may have eased the reception of his work.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 18, 2026

Any ambiguity, any tendency to wander from the matter at hand, will introduce grave hazards for the cells, and even more for the host in which they live.

From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas

Related Words

• doubt
• uncertainty
• vagueness