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 him or her 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

Words nearby ambivalence

ambisyllabic, ambit, ambitendency, ambition, ambitious, ambivalence, ambivalent, ambivalent sexism, ambiversion, ambivert, amble

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use ambivalence in a sentence

One is that besides the workers and businesses that serve the industry, there’s a certain ambivalence among residents about the Convention Center and the tourism sector as a whole.
A Convention Center Expansion Is Still Years and Several Court Battles Away|Scott Lewis|August 25, 2021|Voice of San Diego
The FDA approved LYMErix in 1998, but with a great deal of ambivalence.
We Used to Have a Lyme Disease Vaccine. Are We Ready to Bring One Back?|Mandy Oaklander|June 17, 2021|Time
She has expressed much ambivalence over the years but never officially ruled it out.
Carolyn Hax: Your wife still won’t talk about having kids after 15 years of stalling|Carolyn Hax|May 21, 2021|Washington Post
As years have passed, my desire for a family has only grown, but hers has diminished while her ambivalence increased.
Carolyn Hax: Your wife still won’t talk about having kids after 15 years of stalling|Carolyn Hax|May 21, 2021|Washington Post

Despite a nice conversation, “there is a little bit of ambivalence or apathy after the initial date,” Shiri said, unable to pinpoint the reasons.
Date Lab: He was prepared to get roasted|Prachi Gupta|May 13, 2021|Washington Post
But there is much ambivalence between her bright colors and sharp lines.
Wonder Woman’s Creation Story Is Wilder Than You Could Ever Imagine|Tom Arnold-Forster|November 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The ambivalence is reflected in U.S. policy, which often has served to complicate aid delivery in conflict zones.
Why Humanitarians Talk to ISIS|Joshua Hersh|October 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A strong note of ambivalence is also present in the conflict over love and duty between Gromov and his wife.
Fake Snowden Is Russia’s Newest TV Star|Cathy Young|October 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
All parties display ambivalence, all the characters lie to themselves, everyone has someone else they blame.
The Feminist Aesthetic of ‘Happy Valley’: A Refusal to Eroticize Violence Against Women|Batya Ungar-Sargon|August 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The see-sawing ambivalence neatly reflects how badly and misguidedly politicians and political parties approach women.
The New Right-Wing Idol: Working Moms|Tim Teeman|July 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But now also the psychological fatality of ambivalence demands its rights.
Totem and Taboo|Sigmund Freud
Once again he was conscious of a strange ambivalence in his attitude.
Turning Point|Alfred Coppel
With the decline of this ambivalence the taboo, as the compromise symptom of the ambivalent conflict, also slowly disappeared.
Totem and Taboo|Sigmund Freud
He remembers this leading to an intense relationship that he looks back upon with a disturbing ambivalence.
Against The Grain|Joris-Karl Huysmans

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

Medical definitions for ambivalence

ambivalence

[ ăm-bĭv′ə-ləns ]

The coexistence of opposing attitudes or feelings toward a person, an object, or an idea.

Other words from ambivalence

am•biv′a•lent adj.

ambivalence

Origin of ambivalence

OTHER WORDS FROM ambivalence

Words nearby ambivalence

Words related to ambivalence

How to use ambivalence in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for ambivalence

ambivalency

Derived forms of ambivalence

Medical definitions for ambivalence

Other words from ambivalence