ambivalence
Americannoun
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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.
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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.
noun
Other Word Forms
- ambivalent adjective
Etymology
Origin of ambivalence
Explanation
Someone who shows ambivalence about a person or thing has conflicting feelings. If you love your mom but find her totally embarrassing, you might feel ambivalent about having her give a presentation at your school. Originally a psychological term, ambivalence was borrowed from the German word Ambivalenz, coined in 1910 by the Swiss psychologist Eugen Bleuler. The German word was formed from the Latin prefix ambi- "in two ways" plus Latin valentia "vigor, strength."
Vocabulary lists containing ambivalence
The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 1
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The New SAT: Words to Capture Tone
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Just Mercy
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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.
Nguyen captures the ambivalence and anxiety surrounding these decisions.
From Salon • Mar. 27, 2026
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 • Mar. 20, 2026
While shoppers had greeted him in his old delivery job with anticipation, now as a return worker they hand over packages with a measure of ambivalence and perhaps, relief.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 31, 2025
Vegas happily feasted upon that ambivalence all night long.
From Slate • Nov. 18, 2025
It is doubtful that the other members agreed with that role; Compton was the only one who oversaw a lab where the scientists’ ambivalence was expressed openly.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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.
