Dictionary

tergiversate en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /tɝˈd͡ʒɪvɝseɪt/ (US)
• /ˈtɜːd͡ʒɪvəseɪt/ (UK)
• (US) audio
• tər-jɪv'ər-sāt (US)

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin tergiversātus, perfect active participle of tergiversor (“to evade, to avoid, to turn one's back on”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from tergum (“back, hind”) + versor (“to turn”). Compare French tergiverser.

Meanings

1. (intransitive) To evade, to equivocate using subterfuge; to obfuscate in a deliberate manner.
   • The officials soon concluded that the easiest way to remain on good terms with the court was to elude responsibility, to tergiversate, to prevent results. 1999, Philip McCutchan, Werner Levi, The Hoof, →ISBN, page 18:
2. (intransitive) To change sides or affiliation; to apostatize.
   • Henry had hesitated before authorising the spoliation; he would soon tergiversate on other matters of doctrine but this act was irreversible. 2002, Colin Morris, Peter Roberts, chapter 8, in Pilgrimage: The English Experience from Becket to Bunyan, →ISBN, page 221:
3. (intransitive, rare) To flee by turning one's back.

Forms

Relateds

tergiversation · tergiversator

Synonyms

desert (to change sides) · beat around the bush (to evade, obfuscate) · prevaricate (to evade, obfuscate)

Translations (25)

cs odpadnout (to change sides or affiliation; to apostatize) · fi kääntää takkinsa (to change sides or affiliation; to apostatize) · ro tergiversa (to evade, to equivocate using subterfuge; to deliberately obfuscate) · bg увъртам (to evade, to equivocate using subterfuge; to deliberately obfuscate) · pt tergiversar (to evade, to equivocate using subterfuge; to deliberately obfuscate) · ru переметну́ться (to change sides or affiliation; to apostatize) · nl overlopen (to change sides or affiliation; to apostatize) · nl uitvluchten zoeken (to evade, to equivocate using subterfuge; to deliberately obfuscate) · cs přeběhnout (to change sides or affiliation; to apostatize) · ru уви́ливать (to evade, to equivocate using subterfuge; to deliberately obfuscate) · ru увёртываться (to evade, to equivocate using subterfuge; to deliberately obfuscate) · fr se dérober (to evade, to equivocate using subterfuge; to deliberately obfuscate) · fr tergiverser (to evade, to equivocate using subterfuge; to deliberately obfuscate) · nl schipperen (to evade, to equivocate using subterfuge; to deliberately obfuscate) · fr changer de camp (to change sides or affiliation; to apostatize) · ar اِرْتَدَّ (to change sides or affiliation; to apostatize) · ru уклоня́ться (to evade, to equivocate using subterfuge; to deliberately obfuscate) · nl eromheen draaien (to evade, to equivocate using subterfuge; to deliberately obfuscate) · fr retourner sa chemise (to change sides or affiliation; to apostatize) · la tergiversor (to evade, to equivocate using subterfuge; to deliberately obfuscate) · ru отступа́ться (to change sides or affiliation; to apostatize) · cs vymlouvat se (to evade, to equivocate using subterfuge; to deliberately obfuscate) · ru предава́ть (to change sides or affiliation; to apostatize) · it tergiversare (to evade, to equivocate using subterfuge; to deliberately obfuscate) · cs vytáčet se (to evade, to equivocate using subterfuge; to deliberately obfuscate)