Agency Dictionary
Ambiguity
nounPronunciation: /ˌæm.bɪˈɡjuː.ə.ti/
In Portuguese: Ambiguidade
Writing & Narrative
Philosophy & EthicsWhat does “Ambiguity” mean?
The quality of being open to more than one interpretation; inexactness or uncertainty of meaning.
Etymology
From Old French ambiguité and directly from Latin ambiguitas, "double meaning", from ambiguus, "going two ways, doubtful", from ambigere, "to go around, to dispute", formed from ambi- ("on both sides") and agere ("to drive, to lead"). The word has been in English since late Middle English, first in the sense of doubt or hesitation and then of wording that can be understood in more than one way.
Usage note
Linguists separate lexical ambiguity, where one word has several meanings, from structural ambiguity, where the grammar of a sentence allows more than one reading.
Synonyms
- vagueness
- uncertainty
- equivocation
- obscurity
- double meaning
Often confused with
- ambivalence
- Ambiguity belongs to meanings: a text can be read in more than one way. Ambivalence belongs to feelings: a person holds opposed attitudes at once.
Word family
- ambiguous
- ambiguously
- unambiguous
- disambiguate
- disambiguation
Rhymes with
- continuity
- ingenuity
- gratuity
- annuity
- perpetuity
Concept
Source editions
Where this entry comes from in the Agency editorial.
Words of the same theme
- Antithesisnoun
- A person, thing, or concept that represents the direct or exact opposite of another.
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- A new beginning after a period of decline or destruction, used in mythology to describe the cyclical return to life after death. In Archetype.0, rebirth is the defining characteristic of both the Bennu and the Phoenix.
- Discursiveadjective
- Proceeding by reasoned argument or sequential exposition rather than by immediate visual intuition.
- paperweightnoun
- A small, heavy object placed on loose sheets of paper to prevent them from scattering or blowing away.
- quotationnoun
- A group of words taken verbatim from a published text or speech and repeated by another author.
- omissionnoun
- The intentional or accidental act of leaving something out or excluding details from a statement or text.
- Treatisenoun
- A formal, systematic, and comprehensive written work dealing methodically with the principles and evidence of a particular philosophical, scientific, or technical subject.
- Maximnoun
- A concise statement expressing a fundamental principle, general truth, or practical rule of conduct.
- verbatimadjective
- In exactly the same words as the original, word for word. Said of a quotation or a transcription that changes nothing.
- rhetoricnoun
- The art of effective and persuasive speaking or writing, especially through strategic linguistic devices.
- Tangibleadjective
- Perceptible by the sense of touch or capable of being physically grasped and measured in concrete physical reality. It distinguishes concrete material products from virtual or intellectual entities.
- literary devicenoun
- A technique that a writer uses to produce a particular effect or to convey meaning, such as metaphor, irony, repetition, quotation or aphorism.
Also from these editions: terms
- Alchemistnoun
- A practitioner of alchemy, seeking to transmute base metals into noble elements and discover a universal cure.
- Bombasticadjective
- High-sounding, pompous, or inflated in speech or style with little genuine substance or humility.
- Decorumnoun
- Behavior in keeping with good taste, propriety, and established standards of dignity.
- Demagoguenoun
- A political leader who seeks support by appealing to popular desires and prejudices rather than rational argument.
- Elixirnoun
- A magical or medicinal potion believed capable of curing illnesses or conferring exceptional vitality.
- Epiphanynoun
- A moment of sudden and profound intuitive comprehension, clarity, or essential insight.
- Placebonoun
- A medically ineffectual treatment or substance designed to deceive the recipient, often used as a control in scientific trials.
- Poisonnoun
- A substance that causes death or severe physical harm when introduced into or absorbed by a living organism.
- Potionnoun
- A liquid concoction endowed with purported medicinal, magical, toxic, or transformative powers.
- Remedynoun
- A medicine, treatment, or therapy that cures a disease, relieves physical suffering, or rectifies a systemic flaw.
- Technocratnoun
- An exponent of technocracy, or an expert whose authority derives from technical or managerial proficiency rather than democratic mandate.
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