Agency Dictionary
Ambiguous
adjectivePronunciation: /æmˈbɪɡ.ju.əs/
In Portuguese: Ambíguo
Writing & Narrative
Philosophy & EthicsWhat does “Ambiguous” mean?
Open to more than one interpretation; lacking definitive clarity or certainty in meaning, intention, or moral alignment.
Etymology
From Latin ambiguus, "going two ways, wavering, doubtful", with the English adjective ending -ous. The Latin adjective comes from ambigere, "to go around, to be in doubt, to dispute", formed from ambi- ("on both sides, around") and agere ("to drive, to lead"). The adjective entered English in the 16th century, after the noun ambiguity.
Synonyms
- equivocal
- unclear
- vague
- uncertain
- doubtful
- cryptic
Often confused with
- ambivalent
- Ambiguous describes something that can be understood in more than one way; ambivalent describes a person who has mixed or opposed feelings.
- vague
- A vague statement lacks precision; an ambiguous one has two or more distinct possible meanings.
Word family
- ambiguity
- ambiguously
- unambiguous
- disambiguate
Rhymes with
- contiguous
- exiguous
Usage examples
They are flawed and ambiguous characters that offer nuanced portrayals of complex characters and shift many different moral boundaries.
Concepts
- Anti-HeroAn anti-hero is a central narrative protagonist who lacks conventional heroic attributes such as moral purity, idealism, or unblemished virtue. Unlike classic champions…
- Moral AmbiguityMoral ambiguity is a state of ethical uncertainty wherein actions, characters, or situations cannot be cleanly classified as entirely virtuous or wholly evil. In…
- Shadow ArchetypeThe shadow archetype is a Carl Jung concept denoting the unconscious, repressed, or unacknowledged aspects of the human personality. In psychological drama, characters…
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.
- Rebirthnoun
- 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
- Anesthetizeverb
- To administer an anesthetic to eliminate physical feeling, or figuratively to numb emotional or critical awareness.
- Arrogancenoun
- An offensive display of superiority, self-importance, or overbearing pride that disparages others and their contributions.
- Compassionnoun
- Deep awareness of the suffering of another coupled with the genuine desire to alleviate their distress and provide solace.
- Dignitynoun
- The quality of being worthy of honor, esteem, and ethical respect; a composed, self-respecting conduct under adversity.
- Ephemeraladjective
- Lasting for only a very brief period of time; fleeting, transitory, or impermanent in nature.
- Legacynoun
- An enduring body of work, set of values, or material inheritance handed down from a predecessor to future generations.
- Lineagenoun
- Direct lineal descent from an ancestor, or an unbroken historical sequence of practitioners, ideas, or artistic traditions.
- Nuancedadjective
- Characterized by subtle shades of meaning, delicate distinctions, or layered psychological complexity.
- Saudadenoun
- A profound, melancholic longing for an absent person, place, or time that is loved and remembered with bittersweet affection.
- Taboonoun
- A social, cultural, or religious prohibition restricting a particular practice, discussion, or association under moral penalty.
- Vulnerabilitynoun
- The state of being susceptible to physical, emotional, or moral wounding; openness to risk, grief, and honest exposure.
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