Dictionary

prevaricate en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /pɹɪˈvɛɹɪkeɪt/ (US)
• /pɹɪˈvæɹɪkeɪt/ (US)
• (US) audio
• /pɹɪˈvaɹɪkeɪt/ (UK)

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin praevāricātus, perfect active participle of praevāricor (“to walk crookedly; to play a false or double part”), from prae- + vāricō (“to stand with feet apart, straddle”), from vāricus (“with feet spread apart”); see -ate (verb-forming suffix).

Meanings

1. (intransitive, obsolete, transitive) To deviate, transgress; to go astray (from).
2. (intransitive) To speak or act in a manner that is intentionally ambiguous or evasive; equivocate.
   • The people saw the politician prevaricate every day.
   • [Boris Johnson] went: “You’re right, let’s get on with it. Let’s make the decision.” It took him another hour of prevaricating to reach the decision. He went outside, and I think that announcement changed the course of history. 2026 June 23, Will Walden, quotee, “‘Geldof started flicking Vs at Farage’: the story of the Brexit campaign, told by those with a front-row seat”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
   • At the moment of her departure he could prevaricate no longer, and, confessing to the gambling, told her the truth as far as he knew it—that the guineas had been won by Wildeve. 1878 January–December, Thomas Hardy, chapter 1, in The Return of the Native […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: Smith, Elder, & Co., […], published 1878, →OCLC:
3. (intransitive) To collude, as where an informer colludes with the defendant, and makes a sham prosecution.
4. (UK) To undertake something falsely and deceitfully, with the purpose of defeating or destroying it.

Forms

Antonyms

direct

Deriveds

unprevaricating · prevaricatingly · prevarication · prevaricator · prevaricatest

Relateds

lie

Synonyms

fabricate · lie · evade · beat around the bush · tergiversate · equivocate · beat about the bush · waffle · fib · equivocate

Translations (34)

nl terugkrabbelen (deviate, transgress) · mi tītahataha (deviate, transgress) · pl lawirować (deviate, transgress) · pl zmawiać się ((law) collude) · pl wykręcać się od odpowiedzi (shift or turn from direct speech or behaviour, to equivocate) · fr forfaire (deviate, transgress) · mi tītahataha (shift or turn from direct speech or behaviour, to equivocate) · nl rond de pot draaien (shift or turn from direct speech or behaviour, to equivocate) · hu kertel (shift or turn from direct speech or behaviour, to equivocate) · cmn 搪塞 (shift or turn from direct speech or behaviour, to equivocate) · mn ᠪᠤᠯᠵᠠᠬᠤ (shift or turn from direct speech or behaviour, to equivocate) · kk бұлтақтау (shift or turn from direct speech or behaviour, to equivocate) · fr prévariquer (deviate, transgress) · pl zmówić się ((law) collude) · bg извъртам (deviate, transgress) · mn булзах (shift or turn from direct speech or behaviour, to equivocate) · ru уви́ливать (shift or turn from direct speech or behaviour, to equivocate) · it essere evasivo (shift or turn from direct speech or behaviour, to equivocate) · fr prévariquer ((law) collude) · fi vältellä (shift or turn from direct speech or behaviour, to equivocate) · pl wykręcić się od odpowiedzi (shift or turn from direct speech or behaviour, to equivocate) · it prevaricare (deviate, transgress) · de ausweichen (shift or turn from direct speech or behaviour, to equivocate) · nl afwijken (deviate, transgress) · fr éluder (shift or turn from direct speech or behaviour, to equivocate) · ca prevaricar (deviate, transgress) · hu köntörfalaz (shift or turn from direct speech or behaviour, to equivocate) · fr être/rester évasif (shift or turn from direct speech or behaviour, to equivocate) · it equivocare (shift or turn from direct speech or behaviour, to equivocate) · de Ausflüchte machen (shift or turn from direct speech or behaviour, to equivocate) · pt prevaricar (deviate, transgress) · pl kręcić (deviate, transgress) · fr se dérober (shift or turn from direct speech or behaviour, to equivocate) · ka მიკიბვ-მოკიბვა (shift or turn from direct speech or behaviour, to equivocate)