EQUIVOCATION

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does equivocation mean? 

• EQUIVOCATION (noun)
  The noun EQUIVOCATION has 3 senses:

1. a statement that is not literally false but that cleverly avoids an unpleasant truth

2. intentionally vague or ambiguous

3. falsification by means of vague or ambiguous language

  Familiarity information: EQUIVOCATION used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• EQUIVOCATION (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A statement that is not literally false but that cleverly avoids an unpleasant truth

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

equivocation; evasion

Hypernyms ("equivocation" is a kind of...):

deceit; deception; misrepresentation (a misleading falsehood)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "equivocation"):

circumlocution; indirect expression (an indirect way of expressing something)

doublespeak (any language that pretends to communicate but actually does not)

hedge; hedging (an intentionally noncommittal or ambiguous statement)

cavil; quibble; quiddity (an evasion of the point of an argument by raising irrelevant distinctions or objections)

Derivation:

equivocate (be deliberately ambiguous or unclear in order to mislead or withhold information)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Intentionally vague or ambiguous

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

equivocation; evasiveness; prevarication

Hypernyms ("equivocation" is a kind of...):

ambiguity; equivocalness (unclearness by virtue of having more than one meaning)

untruthfulness (the quality of being untruthful)

Derivation:

equivocate (be deliberately ambiguous or unclear in order to mislead or withhold information)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Falsification by means of vague or ambiguous language

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

equivocation; tergiversation

Hypernyms ("equivocation" is a kind of...):

falsification; misrepresentation (a willful perversion of facts)

Derivation:

equivocate (be deliberately ambiguous or unclear in order to mislead or withhold information)

 Context examples 

The disguise, equivocation, mystery, so hateful to her to practise, might soon be over.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)