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ambiguous

[ am-big-yoo-uhs ]
/ ĂŠmˈbÉȘg yu əs /
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See synonyms for: ambiguous / ambiguously / ambiguousness on Thesaurus.com
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.
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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; see origin at ambi-; see -ous

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, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH ambiguous

ambiguous , ambivalent

Words 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

Words related to ambiguous

cryptic, dubious, enigmatic, equivocal, inconclusive, obscure, opaque, puzzling, questionable, uncertain, unclear, vague, doubtful, enigmatical, indefinite, indeterminate, inexplicit, muddy, multivocal, polysemous

How to use ambiguous in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for ambiguous

ambiguous
/ (ĂŠmˈbÉȘÉĄjʊəs) /
adjective
having more than one possible interpretation or meaning
difficult to understand or classify; obscure

Derived forms of ambiguous

ambiguously, adverbambiguousness, noun

Word 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 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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