ambivalence

American  

[am-biv-uh-luhns] / æmˈbɪv ə ləns /

Also ambivalency

noun

1. 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.

2. 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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ambivalence British  

/ æmˈbɪvələns /

noun

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

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Other Word Forms

• ambivalent adjective

Etymology

Origin of ambivalence

First recorded in 1910–15; ambi- + valence

Example Sentences

The subsequent track, Normal, is billed as "exploring the space between spotlight and silence" and expresses ambivalence about the cost of celebrity, with lyrics about surviving criticism and having to fake happiness for the cameras.

From BBC

It is hard to know how to respond to such ambivalence.

From The Wall Street Journal

Sally is processing both the shock of a miscarriage and her ambivalence about her marriage.

From Los Angeles Times

In that environment, power doesn’t encounter firm resistance; it encounters hesitation, fragmentation and cultural ambivalence.

From Salon

Despite his ambivalence to birthdays, the museum, which was co-founded by Fat Mike in 2023, pulled out all the stops for a “this is your life”-style birthday party.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• doubt
• hesitancy
• hesitation
• indecision
• uncertainty