What does ambiguity mean?

Definitions for ambiguity
ˌæm bɪˈgyu ɪ tiam·bi·gu·i·ty

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word ambiguity.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. ambiguitynoun

    an expression whose meaning cannot be determined from its context

  2. ambiguity, equivocalnessnoun

    unclearness by virtue of having more than one meaning

Wiktionary

  1. ambiguitynoun

    Something liable to more than one interpretation, explanation or meaning, if that meaning etc cannot be determined from its context.

    His speech was made with such great ambiguity that neither supporter nor opponent could be certain of his true position.

  2. ambiguitynoun

    The state of being ambiguous.

  3. Etymology: From ambiguite, from ambiguite (French ambiguïté), from ambiguitas.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. Ambiguitynoun

    Doubtfulness of meaning; uncertainty of signification; double meaning.

    Etymology: from ambiguous.

    With ambiguities they often entangle themselves, not marking what doth agree to the word of God in itself, and what in regard of outward accidents. Richard Hooker, b. v.

    We can clear these ambiguities,
    And know their spring, their head, their true descent. William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet.

    The words are of single signification, without any ambiguity; and therefore I shall not trouble you, by straining for an interpretation, where there is no difficulty; or distinction, where there is no difference. South.

Wikipedia

  1. Ambiguity

    Ambiguity is the type of meaning in which a phrase, statement or resolution is not explicitly defined, making several interpretations plausible. A common aspect of ambiguity is uncertainty. It is thus an attribute of any idea or statement whose intended meaning cannot be definitively resolved according to a rule or process with a finite number of steps. (The ambi- part of the term reflects an idea of "two", as in "two meanings".) The concept of ambiguity is generally contrasted with vagueness. In ambiguity, specific and distinct interpretations are permitted (although some may not be immediately obvious), whereas with information that is vague, it is difficult to form any interpretation at the desired level of specificity.

ChatGPT

  1. ambiguity

    Ambiguity is a state or quality characterized by the presence of more than one interpretation, meaning, or understanding. It refers to confusion or uncertainty due to something being unclear or open to different interpretations. This could involve words, phrases, sentences, or any other information that is not explicitly defined, leading to potential misunderstanding or miscommunication.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Ambiguitynoun

    the quality or state of being ambiguous; doubtfulness or uncertainty, particularly as to the signification of language, arising from its admitting of more than one meaning; an equivocal word or expression

  2. Etymology: [L. ambiguitas, fr. ambiguus: cf. F. ambiguit.]

Wikidata

  1. Ambiguity

    Ambiguity of information, in words, pictures, or other media, is the ability to express more than one interpretation. It is generally contrasted with vagueness, in that specific and distinct interpretations are permitted, whereas with information that is vague it is difficult to form any interpretation at the desired level of specificity. Context may play a role in resolving ambiguity. For example, the same piece of information may be ambiguous in one context and unambiguous in another.

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British National Corpus

  1. Nouns Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'ambiguity' in Nouns Frequency: #2906

How to pronounce ambiguity?

How to say ambiguity in sign language?

Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of ambiguity in Chaldean Numerology is: 5

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of ambiguity in Pythagorean Numerology is: 8

Examples of ambiguity in a Sentence

  1. Assistant Public Defender David Davis:

    There is no ambiguity, you can't separate the punishment from the procedure ... It's like having a bullet without a gun.

  2. Kingman Brewster, Jr.:

    If I take refuge in ambiguity, I assure you that it's quite conscious.

  3. Paul Ryan:

    I do believe that (Trump) messed up in his comments on Tuesday, when it sounded like a moral equivocation, or at the very least moral ambiguity, when we need extreme moral clarity.

  4. Lorien Carter:

    A lot of his identity was formed because of his racial ambiguity. ... Terrell felt (like) a misfit most of his life, terrell just wanted to be loved, honestly ... and as a result, made some poor decisions, and I think that's something we can all relate to.

  5. Howard Weintraub:

    It was a very well-done analysis of older trials, and there was no ambiguity that there was not a signal of cancer risk.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

ambiguity#10000#20136#100000

Translations for ambiguity

From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary

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"ambiguity." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 Mar. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/ambiguity>.

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