unequivocally
Americanadverb
-
in a way that is clear and unambiguous.
The theme is unequivocally religious.
-
in a way that is not subject to conditions or exceptions.
He offered his forgiveness unequivocally.
Etymology
Origin of unequivocally
First recorded in 1690–1700; un- 1 ( def. ) + equivocally ( def. )
Explanation
Ideas that are presented unequivocally are given clearly, without causing doubt and confusion. At your lecture, you presented facts and charts, speaking unequivocally about the dangers of global warming. The adverb unequivocally strengthens the ideas in a statement as true and easy to understand. The word can be traced to the Latin aequivocus, meaning "ambiguous." The addition of the prefix "un" turns the meaning around to "not equivocally." Economist John Kenneth Galbraith once said, "All of the great leaders have had one characteristic in common: it was the willingness to confront unequivocally the major anxiety of their people in their time."
Vocabulary lists containing unequivocally
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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.
"We unequivocally reject violence in all its forms."
From Barron's ● Oct. 12, 2026
In response to the student movement, Lecornu said "the difficulties of high schools must be heard and addressed", but that "violence must be condemned unequivocally, and its perpetrators must answer for their actions".
From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026
Bartiromo’s lawyer disputed those accounts on Friday, calling reports of her firing “absolutely and unequivocally false” and said they have the receipts to prove it.
From Salon ● Sep. 5, 2026
“The irresponsible reports that have been published stating that Maria Bartiromo was fired or is no longer an employee of Fox are absolutely and unequivocally false,” Bartiromo’s lawyer said today.
From Slate ● Sep. 4, 2026
The three unequivocally foreign elements in New Guinea highland food production as seen by the first European explorers were chickens, pigs, and sweet potatoes.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
