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ambivalence

[ am-biv-uh-luhns ]
/ æmˈbɪv ə ləns /
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See synonyms for: ambivalence / ambivalent on Thesaurus.com

noun
uncertainty or fluctuation, especially when caused by inability to make a choice or by a simultaneous desire to say or do two opposite or conflicting things.
Psychology. the coexistence within an individual of positive and negative feelings toward the same person, object, or action, simultaneously drawing that individual in opposite directions.
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Also am·biv·a·len·cy .

Origin of ambivalence

First recorded in 1910–15; ambi- + valence

OTHER WORDS FROM ambivalence

am·biv·a·lent, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use ambivalence in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for ambivalence

ambivalence

ambivalency

/ (æmˈbɪvələns) /

noun
the simultaneous existence of two opposed and conflicting attitudes, emotions, etc

Derived forms of ambivalence

ambivalent, adjective
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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