What does equivocal mean?
Definitions for equivocal
ɪˈkwɪv ə kəlequiv·o·cal
This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word equivocal.
Princeton's WordNet
equivocal, ambiguousadjective
open to two or more interpretations; or of uncertain nature or significance; or (often) intended to mislead
"an equivocal statement"; "the polling had a complex and equivocal (or ambiguous) message for potential female candidates"; "the officer's equivocal behavior increased the victim's uneasiness"; "popularity is an equivocal crown"; "an equivocal response to an embarrassing question"
equivocaladjective
open to question
"aliens of equivocal loyalty"; "his conscience reproached him with the equivocal character of the union into which he had forced his son"-Anna Jameson
equivocaladjective
uncertain as a sign or indication
"the evidence from bacteriologic analysis was equivocal"
Wiktionary
equivocalnoun
A word or expression capable of different meanings; an ambiguous term; an equivoque.
equivocaladjective
(Literally, called equally one thing or the other; hence:) Having two or more significations equally applicable; capable of double or multiple interpretation; of doubtful meaning; ambiguous; uncertain; as, equivocal words; an equivocal sentence.
equivocaladjective
Capable of being ascribed to different motives, or of signifying opposite feelings, purposes, or characters; deserving to be suspected; as, his actions are equivocal.
equivocaladjective
Uncertain, as an indication or sign; doubtful, incongruous.
Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
Equivocaladjective
Etymology: æquivocus, Latin.
These sentences to sugar, or to gall,
Being strong on both sides, are equivocal. William Shakespeare, Othello.Words of different significations, taken in general, are of an equivocal sense; but being considered with all their particular circumstances, they have their sense restrained. Edward Stillingfleet.
The greater number of those who held this were misguided by equivocal terms. Jonathan Swift.
Equivocal generation is the production of plants without seed, or of insects or animals without parents in the natural way of coition between male and female; which is now believed never to happen, but that all bodies are univocally produced. Harr.
My affirmation is, that there is no such thing as equivocal or spontaneous generation; but that all animals are generated by animal parents of the same species with themselves. John Ray.
Those half-learn’d witlings, num’rous in our isle
As half-form’d insects on the banks of Nile;
Unfinish’d things, one knows not what to call,
Their generation’s so equivocal. Alexander Pope, Essay on Criticism.Equivocalnoun
Ambiguity; word of doubtful meaning.
Shall two or three wretched equivocals have the force to corrupt us. John Dennis.
Wikipedia
Equivocal
Equivocal is the grammatical quality of ambiguity due to a term's having multiple meanings. It is the latin translation of the greek adjective "homonymous". Equivocation, in logic, a fallacy from using a phrase in multiple senses Equivocal generation, in biology, the disproven theory of spontaneous generation from a host organism
ChatGPT
equivocal
Equivocal is defined as something that is ambiguous, uncertain, or open to multiple interpretations. It can refer to statements, words, actions, or situations that are not clear, definite, or decided, thereby leaving doubts or causing confusion.
Webster Dictionary
Equivocaladjective
(Literally, called equally one thing or the other; hence:) Having two significations equally applicable; capable of double interpretation; of doubtful meaning; ambiguous; uncertain; as, equivocal words; an equivocal sentence
Equivocaladjective
capable of being ascribed to different motives, or of signifying opposite feelings, purposes, or characters; deserving to be suspected; as, his actions are equivocal
Equivocaladjective
uncertain, as an indication or sign; doubtful
Equivocalnoun
a word or expression capable of different meanings; an ambiguous term; an equivoque
Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
Equivocal
e-kwiv′ō-kal, adj. capable of meaning two or more things: of doubtful meaning: capable of a double explanation: suspicious: questionable.—adv. Equiv′ocally.—n. Equiv′ocalness.—v.i. Equiv′ocāte, to use equivocal or doubtful words in order to mislead.—ns. Equivocā′tion, act of equivocating or using ambiguous words to mislead; Equiv′ocātor.—adj. Equiv′ocātory, containing or characterised by equivocation.—ns. E′quivoke, E′quivoque, an equivocal expression: equivocation: a quibble. [L. æquus, equal, vox, vocis, the voice, a word.]
Numerology
Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of equivocal in Chaldean Numerology is: 6
Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of equivocal in Pythagorean Numerology is: 6
Examples of equivocal in a Sentence
It has been my fate in a long life of production to be credited chiefly with the equivocal virtue of industry, a quality so excellent in morals, so little satisfactory in art.
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Translations for equivocal
From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary
- مبهمArabic
- съмнителен, двусмислен, несигуренBulgarian
- mehrdeutig, fragwürdig, doppeldeutigGerman
- διφορούμενοςGreek
- equívocoSpanish
- دو پهلوPersian
- epäjohdonmukainen, epäselvä, monimerkityksinen, epäilyttävä, epämääräinen, moniselitteinen, kyseenalainenFinnish
- incertain, indéterminé, douteux, ambigu, équivoqueFrench
- equivocoItalian
- двосмислен, сомнителенMacedonian
- ambiguu, echivocRomanian
- сомнительный, двусмысленныйRussian
- tvetydigSwedish
- không phân minhVietnamese
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"equivocal." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 24 Apr. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/equivocal>.
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