ambiguous

[ am-big-yoo-uhs ]

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.

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 for ambiguous

3	dubious, vague, indeterminate, problematic; anomalous, unclassifiable
4	puzzling, enigmatic

See synonyms for ambiguous on Thesaurus.com

Opposites for ambiguous

1	explicit
3	certain
4	clear, precise, unambiguous

See antonyms for ambiguous on Thesaurus.com

Other words from ambiguous

am·big·u·ous·ly, adverb
am·big·u·ous·ness, noun
un·am·big·u·ous, adjective

Words that may be confused with ambiguous

ambiguous , ambivalent

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use ambiguous in a sentence

I feel this ambiguous connection to strangers I have had to avoid, and my soul demands exploration.
Tallying up a year of loss: A lot of pounds, too many loved ones, countless connections | Jerry Brewer | December 27, 2020 | Washington Post
In the mountains, on the other hand, there’s a pretty broad range of conditions where the decision is ambiguous.
Yes, Walking Is Sometimes Faster than Running Uphill | Alex Hutchinson | December 27, 2020 | Outside Online
Rituals like writing letters to Santa, or leaving out milk and cookies on Christmas eve, reinforce their belief in these ambiguous figures.
Study: children’s belief in Santa Claus is more nuanced than you think | Jennifer Ouellette | December 25, 2020 | Ars Technica
They began their study by noting that “the expected effect of smoking bans on drunk driving is ambiguous” since smokers might choose to go out less, lowering the number of people drinking in total.
Study: Smoking bans saved countless lives — could they have increased drunk driving? | Jerusalem Demsas | December 24, 2020 | Vox
This question was ambiguous as to whether you simply wanted the smallest value of N or the smallest value of N that also resulted in the eliminations listed in the original problem.
Can You Make An Unfair Coin Fair? | Zach Wissner-Gross | November 6, 2020 | FiveThirtyEight

By the 1950s the rapid assignment of gender to an ambiguously gendered infant had become standard.
Intersexuality and God Through the Ages | Candida Moss | November 9, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
But when he goes over a line that it is ambiguously drawn, then we erupt with outrage.
Phil Robertson’s Despicable AIDS Argument Should Be the Last Straw | Kevin Fallon | September 16, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
The Daily Beast reached out to Feliciano for clarification about his "ambiguously gay" statement.
"Why I Called Lindsey Graham 'Ambiguously Gay'" | Olivia Nuzzi | March 14, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
The new version of the bill is so ambiguously written, it might be almost as discriminatory as the old version.
How Anti-Gay Will Mississippi’s ‘New’ Religious Freedom Bill Be? | Jay Michaelson | March 11, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
After all, Shocked once—though ambiguously, and perhaps with the intent of provocation—insinuated that she was a lesbian.
Michelle Shocked’s Crazy Switch From Lesbian to Homophobe | Kevin Fallon | March 19, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
This prediction being delivered somewhat ambiguously, Hamilton misunderstood its meaning.
The Mysteries of All Nations | James Grant
All that enlightened men could do, was to speak ambiguously, hence they often confounded falsehood with truth.
Good Sense | Paul Henri Thiry, Baron D'Holbach
Here again the word Eotena is used ambiguously, but, I think, this time not without some indication of its meaning.
Beowulf | R. W. Chambers
“You could not do it,” she declared ambiguously, planting the last spray.
The Locusts' Years | Mary Helen Fee
Then, as things got worse and worse for her, he spoke again--ambiguously--a word or two, thrown out to sound the waters.
Lady Rose's Daughter | Mrs. Humphry Ward

British Dictionary definitions for ambiguous

ambiguous

/ (æmˈbɪɡjʊəs) /

adjective

having more than one possible interpretation or meaning
difficult to understand or classify; obscure

Origin of ambiguous

C16: from Latin ambiguus going here and there, uncertain, from ambigere to go around, from ambi- + agere to lead, act

Derived forms of ambiguous

ambiguously, adverb
ambiguousness, noun

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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