univocal
Americanadjective
adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
- univocally adverb
Etymology
Origin of univocal
1535–45; < Late Latin ūnivōc ( us ) ( ūni- uni- + -vōcus, adj. derivative of vōx, stem vōc-, voice ) + -al 1
Explanation
Something that's univocal is so clear that there's only one way to interpret it. A dog that's growling ferociously and baring its teeth is sending a univocal message to keep your distance. You might also call univocal things "unambiguous." There's no way to misunderstand something that's truly univocal — its meaning is consistent and obvious. Your mom's univocal instruction to be home by 9:00 PM leaves no room for doubt: she means 9:00, not 9:30 or 10:15. This adjective is most often used in linguistics to talk about words, and its Latin roots are uni-, "having only one," and vox, "voice."
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.
Jacob Frank is a complicated character who escapes univocal judgment.
From Seattle Times • Apr. 15, 2022
So the songs are more univocal than doubleheaded, both in structure and in mood.
From Slate • Aug. 16, 2019
Strangely, whenever MacGregor tries to imagine 16th- and 17th-century attitudes he trusts the univocal evidence of governmental proclamations more readily than he accepts the multiple views articulated by Shakespeare.
From The Guardian • Nov. 23, 2012
It is not the vehicles that they drive or the things strapped on the roof, but the univocal shade of muted grey.
From Salon • Oct. 14, 2012
Objection 1: It seems that the things attributed to God and creatures are univocal.
From Summa Theologica, Part I (Prima Pars) From the Complete American Edition by Thomas, Aquinas, Saint
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.
