equivocation
Americannoun
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the act or an instance of equivocating
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logic a fallacy based on the use of the same term in different senses, esp as the middle term of a syllogism, as the badger lives in the bank, and the bank is in the High Street, so the badger lives in the High Street
Etymology
Origin of equivocation
1350–1400; Middle English equivocacion < Late Latin aequivocātiōn- (stem of aequivocātiō ). See equivocate, -ion
Explanation
If your boss asks you where all the merchandise went and you say, "someone took it," omitting that the "someone" in question is you, that's equivocation: using ambiguous language to hide the truth. Equivocation comes from the Latin for "equal" and "naming," and in equivocation, you use a word that could have a few different meanings, all technically equal, in order to mask what you really mean. It's a great way to not-quite lie, but still avoid taking the blame for something you did, which is why equivocation is never a good thing. You may recognize this kind of speech from watching (some) politicians on TV.
Vocabulary lists containing equivocation
The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark
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Analyzing Arguments: From Reading to Writing (Chapter 3)
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Speech and Debate
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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.
Equivocation Bill Cain’s new comedy about a playwright named “Shagspeare” caught up in political intrigue in 17th-century London.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 28, 2014
"And now at this very instant having written hitherto, cometh to my handes the Catholicke Treatise itselfe of Equivocation before meneyoned," &c....
From Notes and Queries, Number 39, July 27, 1850 by Various
Francis Tresam.—From his examination relative to the book on Equivocation.
From The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction Volume 10, No. 283, November 17, 1827 by Various
A Treatise upon Equivocation," which was altered by Father Garnet into "A treatise against Lying & fraudule't dissimulatio'.
From The Identification of the Writer of the Anonymous Letter to Lord Monteagle in 1605 by Morgan, George Blacker
I cannot help pausing a moment, to admire how Equivocation triumphed throughout this age.
From Priests, Women, and Families by Michelet, Jules
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.
