ambiguous
Americanadjective
-
open to or having several possible meanings or interpretations; equivocal.
an ambiguous answer.
- Antonyms:
- explicit
-
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.
- Synonyms:
- anomalous, problematic, indeterminate, vague, dubious
- Antonyms:
- certain
-
lacking clearness or definiteness; obscure; indistinct: an ambiguous future.
an ambiguous shape;
an ambiguous future.
- Antonyms:
- unambiguous, precise, clear
adjective
-
having more than one possible interpretation or meaning
-
difficult to understand or classify; obscure
Related Words
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 Word Forms
- ambiguously adverb
- ambiguousness noun
- unambiguous adjective
Etymology
Origin of ambiguous
First recorded in 1480–1500; from Latin ambiguus, equivalent to ambig(ere) “to dispute, contend; be undecided, doubt” (from ambi- prefix meaning “both, around” + -igere combining form of agere “to drive, lead, act”) + -uus adjective suffix; ambi-; -ous
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.
The explanations offered to him and his entourage were, at best, ambiguous.
From BBC
It requires attention to detail, an understanding of ever-changing regulations and the ability to interpret ambiguous instructions.
They suffer from anxiety, hopelessness and unresolved, or ambiguous, grief.
Her character has tracked him down for a reckoning that is all the more anguished for being so dangerously ambiguous.
From Los Angeles Times
When pigeons are shown visually ambiguous images, they alternate between different interpretations, much like humans do.
From Science Daily
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.
