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ambiguous
[ am-big-yoo-uhs ]
/ ĂŠmËbÉȘg yu És /
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This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
adjective
open to or having several possible meanings or interpretations; equivocal: an ambiguous answer.
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.
lacking clearness or definiteness; obscure; indistinct: an ambiguous shape;an ambiguous future.
OTHER WORDS FOR ambiguous
OPPOSITES FOR ambiguous
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Origin of ambiguous
synonym study for ambiguous
1. 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 WORDS FROM ambiguous
am·big·u·ous·ly, adverbam·big·u·ous·ness, nounun·am·big·u·ous, adjectiveWORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH ambiguous
ambiguous , ambivalentWords nearby ambiguous
ambiente, ambient music, ambient noise, ambigram, ambiguity, ambiguous, ambilateral, ambiophony, ambipolar, ambira, ambisextrous
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use ambiguous in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for ambiguous
ambiguous
/ (ĂŠmËbÉȘÉĄjÊÉs) /
adjective
having more than one possible interpretation or meaning
difficult to understand or classify; obscure
Derived forms of ambiguous
ambiguously, adverbambiguousness, nounWord Origin for ambiguous
C16: from Latin ambiguus going here and there, uncertain, from ambigere to go around, from ambi- + agere to lead, act
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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