WordValeambiguity
openness to more than one interpretation
the quality of having more than one meaning
In more detail
1. (noun) the quality of being unclear or having more than one possible meaning
2. (noun) something that is unclear or can be understood in more than one way
Examples
- 1. There is some ambiguity in the contract about what payment is required.
- 2. The ambiguity in her statement made it hard to know what she really meant.
How to use ambiguity
Ambiguity refers to unclearness arising from multiple interpretations or lack of precision. It is commonly used in academic, legal, and technical contexts where clarity is critical. Distinguish it from vagueness, which involves imprecision of boundaries rather than multiple possible meanings.
Common phrases
- resolve an ambiguity
- eliminate ambiguity
- prone to ambiguity
- source of ambiguity
- deliberate ambiguity
- semantic ambiguity
Synonyms
vagueness · obscurity · uncertainty · equivocation · lack of clarity
Opposites
clarity · precision · definiteness
Word family
ambiguous (adjective) · ambiguously (adverb) · disambiguate (verb) · unambiguous (adjective)
A common mistake
Learners often use ambiguity when they simply mean vagueness or lack of detail, but ambiguity specifically implies more than one possible interpretation, not just lack of information.
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