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Synonyms

unambiguous

American  
[uhn-am-big-yoo-uhs] / ˌʌn æmˈbɪg ju əs /

adjective

  1. not ambiguous, or unclear; distinct; unequivocal.

    The object of the experiment was to reach an unambiguous conclusion about climate change.


unambiguous British  
/ ˌʌnæmˈbɪɡjʊəs /

adjective

  1. not ambiguous; clear

    an unambiguous message

"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

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of unambiguous

un- 1 + ambiguous

Explanation

If something is unambiguous, there are no two ways to interpret it. If your girlfriend burns all your letters, texts you that she hates you, and moves a thousand miles away, the unambiguous message is that she’s finished with you. If you're nervously reading the manual on how to trap the rattlesnake that's hiding under your bed, you'd hope the instructions would be unambiguous and tell you very clearly what to do. The word unambiguous gets its meaning from un-, meaning "not," combined with the Latin -ambi-, meaning "both ways," and -agere, meaning "to drive." So unambiguous is not driving in two directions — it's going full speed ahead, in just one direction, with only one meaning.

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Vocabulary lists containing unambiguous

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.

The jeers were loud, sustained and unambiguous — the sound of a city that overwhelmingly voted against this man, telling him exactly what it thought of him.

From Salon • Jun. 11, 2026

American Jews, exhausted by the nonsensical charge of disloyalty, have bent themselves into impressive contortions to demonstrate their bona fides as unambiguous, undivided, thoroughly unadulterated Americans.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

But he was unambiguous about what the building is meant to represent.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

"Let me state clearly: the law must take its course," says the unambiguous statement from the King, offering no hiding place or protection.

From BBC • Feb. 19, 2026

But we should not be complacent even on behalf of the robust and unambiguous full stop.

From "Eats, Shoots & Leaves" by Author

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