Wiktionary

ambiguity

English

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Etymology

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Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *h₂ent-
Proto-Indo-European *-s
Proto-Indo-European *h₂énts?
Proto-Indo-European *h₂m̥bʰíder.
Proto-Italic *amβi
Latin ambi-
Proto-Indo-European *h₂eǵ-
Proto-Indo-European *-eti
Proto-Indo-European *h₂éǵeti
Proto-Italic *agō
Latin agō
Latin ambig(ō)
Proto-Indo-European *-wós
Proto-Italic *-wos
Latin -uus
Latin ambiguus
Proto-Indo-European *-teh₂
Proto-Indo-European *-ts
Proto-Indo-European *-teh₂ts
Proto-Italic *-tāts
Latin -tās
Latin ambiguitāsder.
Old French ambiguitebor.
Middle English ambiguite
English ambiguity

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

    Pronunciation

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    Noun

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    ambiguity (countable and uncountable, plural ambiguities)

    1. (uncountable) The state of being ambiguous; the state of leaving room for more than one interpretation.
      His speech was made with such great ambiguity that neither supporter nor opponent could be certain of his true position.
      • 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.
    2. (countable) An instance of this state: words or statements that are open to more than one interpretation, explanation or meaning, especially if that meaning cannot be determined from the context.
      • 1945, E[lizabeth] G[idley] Withycombe, “Introduction”, in The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page xiii:
        If two persons bore the same name, and confusion was likely to be caused, ambiguity was avoided by adding the name of the father […]
      • 2024, Geoffrey K. Pullum, The Truth About English Grammar, Polity Press, →ISBN, page 96:
        For people who would rather face a plague of locusts than permit an avoidable ambiguity, this is like having their underwear twisted. You may think we should say to such people, “Get a life.” By all means tell them that. I’m neither making these rules up nor trying to enforce them; my job in this book is to point out to you what seems to be the current state of the language and its speakers."

    Synonyms

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    Antonyms

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    Derived terms

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    Translations

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