ambiguity en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /æm.bɪˈɡju.ə.ti/ (Canada, General-American)
- /æm.bɪˈɡjuː.ɪ.ti/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- [æm.bɪˈɡjʉː.ɪ.ɾi] (Australia)
- (US) audio
- [æm.bɪˈɡju.ə.ɾi] (Canada, General-American)
- /æm.bɪˈɡju.ɪ.ti/ (Canada, General-American)
- /æm.bɪˈɡjʉː.ɪ.ti/ (Australia)
- [æm.bəˈɡju.ə.ɾi] weak vowel merger, US, Canada
- [æm.bɪˈɡju.ɪ.ɾi] (Canada, General-American)
- [ˌɛəm.bɪˈɡju.ə.ti] (Canada, General-American) /æ/ raising
- /ˌæm.bəˈɡju.ə.ti/ weak vowel merger, US, Canada
- /æm.bɪˈɡjuː.ə.ti/ (Received-Pronunciation)
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂ent- Proto-Indo-European *-s Proto-Indo-European *h₂énts? Proto-Indo-European *h₂m̥bʰíder. Proto-Italic *amβi- Latin ambi- Proto-Indo-European *h₂eǵ- Proto-Indo-European *-eti Proto-Indo-European *h₂éǵeti Proto-Italic *agō Latin agō Latin ambig(ō) Proto-Indo-European *-wós Proto-Italic *-wos Latin -uus Latin ambiguus Proto-Indo-European *-teh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-ts Proto-Indo-European *-teh₂ts Proto-Italic *-tāts Latin -tās Latin ambiguitāsder. Old French ambiguitebor. Middle English ambiguite English ambiguity From Middle English ambiguite, from Old French ambiguite (French ambiguïté), from Latin ambiguitas, equivalent to ambiguous + -ity.
Meanings
-
(uncountable) The state of being ambiguous; the state of leaving room for more than one interpretation.
Whan this ſayd monument diſcouered was / Suche a ſuauite and fragrant odoure / Aſcended from the corps by ſingular grace / Paſſyng all worldly ſwetnes and ſauour / That all there present that day and hour / Suppoſed they had ben / in the felicite / Of erthely paradiſe / without ambiguite.
1513, Henry Bradshaw, edited by Edward Hawkins, The Holy Lyfe and History of Saynt Werburge: Very Frutefull for All Christen People to Rede (Remains Historical & Literary Connected with the Palatine Counties of Lancaster and Chester Published by The Chetham Society; volume XV), […] The Chetham Society, published 1848:His speech was made with such great ambiguity that neither supporter nor opponent could be certain of his true position.
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(countable) An instance of this state: words or statements that are open to more than one interpretation, explanation or meaning, especially if that meaning cannot be determined from the context.
For people who would rather face a plague of locusts than permit an avoidable ambiguity, this is like having their underwear twisted. You may think we should say to such people, “Get a life.” By all means tell them that. I’m neither making these rules up nor trying to enforce them; my job in this book is to point out to you what seems to be the current state of the language and its speakers."
2024, Geoffrey K. Pullum, The Truth About English Grammar, Polity Press, →ISBN, page 96:If two persons bore the same name, and confusion was likely to be caused, ambiguity was avoided by adding the name of the father[…]
1945, E[lizabeth] G[idley] Withycombe, “Introduction”, in The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page xiii:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| ambiguities | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Antonyms
Deriveds
Relateds
Synonyms
imprecision (state of being ambiguous) · weasel word · ambiguousness (state of being ambiguous) · polysemy (state of being ambiguous)
Translations (78)
sh dvosmislenost (something liable to more than one interpretation) · sv tvetydighet (something liable to more than one interpretation) · es ambigüedad (something liable to more than one interpretation) · tr muğlâklık (something liable to more than one interpretation) · sh višeznačnost (something liable to more than one interpretation) · it ambiguità (something liable to more than one interpretation) · ca ambigüitat (something liable to more than one interpretation) · km ភាពមិនច្បាស់លាស់ (something liable to more than one interpretation) · cmn 模棱兩可的詞句 /模棱两可的词句 (something liable to more than one interpretation) · de Mehrdeutigkeit (something liable to more than one interpretation) · mk недозначност (something liable to more than one interpretation) · th ความกำกวม (something liable to more than one interpretation) · ast ambigüedá (something liable to more than one interpretation) · gd dà-sheaghachas (something liable to more than one interpretation) · el αμφισημία (something liable to more than one interpretation) · mn тодорхой бус байдал (something liable to more than one interpretation) · de Vieldeutigkeit (something liable to more than one interpretation) · ro ambiguitate (something liable to more than one interpretation) · hu kétértelműség (something liable to more than one interpretation) · de Doppeldeutigkeit (something liable to more than one interpretation) · uk двозна́чність (something liable to more than one interpretation) · fa گنگی (something liable to more than one interpretation) · ar اِلْتِبَاس (something liable to more than one interpretation) · ka ორაზროვნება (something liable to more than one interpretation) · fr ambiguïté (something liable to more than one interpretation) · eo dusencaĵo (something liable to more than one interpretation) · eo ambiguo (something liable to more than one interpretation) · de Doppelbödigkeit (something liable to more than one interpretation) · de Zweideutigkeit (something liable to more than one interpretation) · pl wieloznaczność (something liable to more than one interpretation) · da tvetydighed (something liable to more than one interpretation) · gl ambigüidade (something liable to more than one interpretation) · de Doppelsinn (something liable to more than one interpretation) · pt ambiguidade (something liable to more than one interpretation) · uk нея́сність (something liable to more than one interpretation) · vi sự tối nghĩa (something liable to more than one interpretation) · it dubbio (something liable to more than one interpretation) · cs mnohoznačnost (something liable to more than one interpretation) · grc ἀμφιβολία (something liable to more than one interpretation) · ru двусмы́сленность (something liable to more than one interpretation) · hy երկդիմություն (something liable to more than one interpretation) · cs dvojsmysl (something liable to more than one interpretation) · el ασάφεια (something liable to more than one interpretation) · nl ambiguïteit (something liable to more than one interpretation) · fi ambiguiteetti (something liable to more than one interpretation) · nb tvetydighet (something liable to more than one interpretation) · uk неоднозна́чність (something liable to more than one interpretation) · de Polysemie (something liable to more than one interpretation) · fi monitulkintaisuus (something liable to more than one interpretation) · cmn 雙關語 /双关语 (something liable to more than one interpretation) · hy երկիմաստություն (something liable to more than one interpretation) · de Doppelsinnigkeit (something liable to more than one interpretation) · nl dubbelzinnigheid (something liable to more than one interpretation) · ru нея́сность (something liable to more than one interpretation) · ka გაურკვევლობა (something liable to more than one interpretation) · fi monimerkityksisyys (something liable to more than one interpretation) · hu félreérthetőség (something liable to more than one interpretation) · sh двосмисленост (something liable to more than one interpretation) · hy անորոշություն (something liable to more than one interpretation) · de Uneindeutigkeit (something liable to more than one interpretation) · lb Ambiguitéit (something liable to more than one interpretation) · mk не́јасност (something liable to more than one interpretation) · la ambiguitas (something liable to more than one interpretation) · de Ambivalenz (something liable to more than one interpretation) · tr müphemiyet (something liable to more than one interpretation) · de Ambiguität (something liable to more than one interpretation) · ko 애매모호 (something liable to more than one interpretation) · sh вишезначност (something liable to more than one interpretation) · tr ikircim (something liable to more than one interpretation) · cmn 有歧義的詞句 /有歧义的词句 (something liable to more than one interpretation) · vi sự mơ hồ (something liable to more than one interpretation) · cy amwysedd (something liable to more than one interpretation) · af dubbelsinnigheid (something liable to more than one interpretation) · mk двосми́сленост (something liable to more than one interpretation) · sh амбигвитет (something liable to more than one interpretation) · id kedwimaknaan (something liable to more than one interpretation) · ar إِبْهَام (something liable to more than one interpretation) · sh ambigvitet (something liable to more than one interpretation)