ambiguity

English

Etymology

From Middle English ambiguite, from Old French ambiguite (French ambiguïté), from Latin ambiguitas, equivalent to ambiguous +‎ -ity.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /æmbɪˈɡjuːɪti/
• IPA^(key): /ˌæmbəˈɡjuːəti/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Noun

ambiguity (countable and uncountable, plural ambiguities)

1. (countable) words or statements that are open to more than one interpretation, explanation or meaning, especially if that meaning 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. (uncountable) The state of being ambiguous.
   • 1513, Henry Bradshaw, edited by Edward Hawkins, The Holy Lyfe and History of Saynt Werburge: Very Frutefull for All Christen People to Rede (Remains Historical & Literary Connected with the Palatine Counties of Lancaster and Chester Published by The Chetham Society; volume XV), […] The Chetham Society, published 1848:

     Whan this ſayd monument diſcouered was / Suche a ſuauite and fragrant odoure / Aſcended from the corps by ſingular grace / Paſſyng all worldly ſwetnes and ſauour / That all there present that day and hour / Suppoſed they had ben / in the felicite / Of erthely paradiſe / without ambiguite.

Synonyms

• (state of being ambiguous): ambiguousness, imprecision, polysemy
• weasel word

Antonyms

• unambiguity

Related terms

• ambiguous

Translations

something liable to more than one interpretation

• Arabic: اِلْتِبَاس m (iltibās), إِبْهَام (ar) m (ʔibhām)
• Armenian: երկիմաստություն (hy) (erkimastutʻyun), անորոշություն (hy) (anorošutʻyun), երկդիմություն (hy) (erkdimutʻyun)
• Asturian: ambigüedá f
• Catalan: ambigüitat f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 模棱兩可的詞句／模棱两可的词句, 模棱两可的词句 (móléngliǎngkě de cíjù), 有歧義的詞句／有歧义的词句, 有歧义的词句 (yǒu qíyì de cíjù), 雙關語／双关语 (zh) (shuāngguānyǔ), 双关语 (zh) (shuāngguānyǔ) (ambiguous words/phrases)

• Czech: mnohoznačnost f, dvojsmysl m
• Danish: tvetydighed (da) c
• Dutch: dubbelzinnigheid (nl) f, ambiguïteit (nl) f
• Esperanto: dusencaĵo, ambiguo (eo)
• Finnish: monitulkintaisuus (fi), monimerkityksisyys (fi), ambiguiteetti
• French: ambiguïté (fr) f
• Galician: ambigüidade (gl) f
• Georgian: გაურკვევლობა (gaurḳvevloba), ორაზროვნება (orazrovneba)
• German: Ambiguität (de) f, Mehrdeutigkeit (de) f, Doppeldeutigkeit (de) f, Zweideutigkeit (de) f, Vieldeutigkeit f, Doppelsinnigkeit f, Uneindeutigkeit (de) f, Doppelbödigkeit f, Doppelsinn (de) m, Polysemie (de) f, Ambivalenz (de) f
• Greek:

  Ancient: ἀμφιβολία f (amphibolía)

• Hebrew: ^{(please verify)} דּוּ-מַשְׁמָעוּת
• Hungarian: kétértelműség (hu), félreérthetőség (hu)
• Italian: ambiguità (it) f, dubbio (it) m
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Japanese: ^{(please verify)} あいまいさ
• Korean: please add this translation if you can
• Latin: ambiguitas f
• Luxembourgish: Ambiguitéit f
• Macedonian: двосми́сленост f (dvosmíslenost), не́јасност f (néjasnost)
• Mongolian: please add this translation if you can
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: tvetydighet (no) m or f

• Persian: گنگی (fa) (gungi)
• Polish: wieloznaczność (pl) f
• Portuguese: ambiguidade (pt) f
• Romanian: ambiguitate (ro) f
• Russian: двусмы́сленность (ru) f (dvusmýslennostʹ), нея́сность (ru) f (nejásnostʹ)
• Scottish Gaelic: dà-sheaghachas m
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: амбигвитет f

  Roman: ambigvitet (sh), višeznačnost (sh), dvosmislenost (sh)

• Spanish: ambigüedad (es) f
• Swedish: tvetydighet (sv)
• Thai: ความกำกวม (th) (kwaam gamguam)
• Turkish: muğlâlık
• Ukrainian: двозна́чність f (dvoznáčnistʹ), неоднозна́чність (uk) f (neodnoznáčnistʹ), нея́сність f (nejásnistʹ)
• Vietnamese: please add this translation if you can