Dictionary

equivocation en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /ɪˌkwɪvəˈkeɪʃən/
• /əˌkwɪvəˈkeɪʃn/
• /ɪˌkwɪvəˈkeɪʃn̩/

Etymology

c. 1380, from Middle English equivocacion, from Old French equivocation, from Medieval Latin aequivocātiō, from aequivocō, from Late Latin aequivocus (“ambiguous, equivocal”), from Latin aequus (“equal”) + vocō (“call”); a calque of Ancient Greek ὁμωνυμία (homōnumía).

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) A logical fallacy resulting from the use of multiple meanings of a single expression.
2. (countable, uncountable) The use of expressions susceptible of a double signification, possibly intentionally and with the aim of misleading.
   • Federal courts have mostly ruled against the executive branch in such cases. The equivocation that has characterized the [Trump] administration’s legal responses to date is turning into objection and refusal. 2025 April 18, Henry Gass, “Amid deportation dispute, Trump and courts square off on who has last word”, in The Christian Science Monitor:

Forms

Relateds

evasion · amphiboly · evasiveness · equivoque · prevarication

Translations (37)

fr équivoque (Expression susceptible of a double signification, possibly misleading) · de Zweideutigkeit (Expression susceptible of a double signification, possibly misleading) · ka არაცალსახობა (Logical fallacy) · fr équivoque (Logical fallacy) · nl gelijknamigheid (Logical fallacy) · de Vieldeutigkeit (Expression susceptible of a double signification, possibly misleading) · oc équivocitat (Logical fallacy) · nl dubbelzinnigheid (Expression susceptible of a double signification, possibly misleading) · es equívoco (Logical fallacy) · es evasivas (Expression susceptible of a double signification, possibly misleading) · nl ambiguïteitsdrogreden (Logical fallacy) · de Ambiguität (Expression susceptible of a double signification, possibly misleading) · fr équivocité (Logical fallacy) · pt equívoco (Logical fallacy) · sv tvetydighet (Expression susceptible of a double signification, possibly misleading) · mk двосми́сленост (Expression susceptible of a double signification, possibly misleading) · de Doppeldeutigkeit (Expression susceptible of a double signification, possibly misleading) · nl equivocatie (Logical fallacy) · pt equivocidade (Logical fallacy) · bg двусмислица (Expression susceptible of a double signification, possibly misleading) · fr quiproquo (Expression susceptible of a double signification, possibly misleading) · pl ekwiwokacja (Logical fallacy) · pl ekwiwokacja (Expression susceptible of a double signification, possibly misleading) · mk двосми́слица (Expression susceptible of a double signification, possibly misleading) · de Mehrdeutigkeit (Expression susceptible of a double signification, possibly misleading) · ja 二枚舌 (Expression susceptible of a double signification, possibly misleading) · cmn 模棱兩可 /模棱两可 (Expression susceptible of a double signification, possibly misleading) · hu köntörfalazás (Expression susceptible of a double signification, possibly misleading) · hu mellébeszélés (Logical fallacy) · es equívoco (Expression susceptible of a double signification, possibly misleading) · de Wortverdrehung (Expression susceptible of a double signification, possibly misleading) · ka ორაზროვნობა (Logical fallacy) · sv ekvivokation (Logical fallacy) · ka ეკვივოკაცია (Logical fallacy) · cmn 偷換概念 /偷换概念 (Logical fallacy) · de Wortspiel (Expression susceptible of a double signification, possibly misleading) · pl dwuznaczność (Expression susceptible of a double signification, possibly misleading)