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===Etymology=== |
===Etymology=== |
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{{root|en|ine-pro|*h₂en-}} |
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{{root|en|ine-pro|*h₂eǵ-}} |
{{root|en|ine-pro|*h₂eǵ-}} |
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From {{ |
From {{uder|en|la|ambiguus||moving from side to side, of doubtful nature}}, from {{m|la|ambigere||to go about, wander, doubt}}, from {{m|la|ambi-||around, about, on both sides}} + {{m|la|agere||to drive, move}}. |
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===Pronunciation=== |
===Pronunciation=== |
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* {{IPA|en|/ |
* {{IPA|en|/æmˈbɪɡ.ju.əs/|a=UK}} |
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* {{ |
* {{IPA|en|/æmˈbɪɡ.ju.əs/|[ɛəmˈbɪɡ.ju.əs]|a=US,CA}} |
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** {{audio|en|en-us-ambiguous.ogg|a=US}} |
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* {{IPA|en|/æmˈbɪɡ.jʉ.əs/|a= |
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* {{rhyme|en|ɪɡjuəs|s=4}} |
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* {{hyphenation|en|am|bi|gu|ous}} |
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===Adjective=== |
===Adjective=== |
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# Open to multiple [[interpretation]]s. |
# Open to multiple [[interpretation]]s. |
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#: {{syn|en|equivocal}} |
#: {{syn|en|equivocal|unclear}} |
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#: {{ant|en|unambiguous}} |
#: {{ant|en|unambiguous|clear}} |
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#: {{ux|en|The politician was criticized for his '''ambiguous''' statements and lack of precision.}} |
#: {{ux|en|The politician was criticized for his '''ambiguous''' statements and lack of precision.}} |
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# [[vague|Vague]] and unclear. {{rfv-sense|en}} |
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#* {{quote-text|en|year=1662|author=w:Thomas Salusbury |
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#: {{ant|en|unambiguous|clear|precise}} |
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|passage=And forasmuch as in this same question I am '''ambiguous''', and Simplicius is resolute....}} |
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====Derived terms==== |
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#* '''1662''' {{w|Thomas Salusbury}} |
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{{col-auto|en|ambiguously|ambiguousness|inambiguous|nonambiguous}} |
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#*: And forasmuch as in this same question I am '''ambiguous''', and Simplicius is resolute.... |
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====Related terms==== |
====Related terms==== |
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* Asturian: {{t|ast|ambiguu}} |
* Asturian: {{t|ast|ambiguu}} |
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* Bulgarian: {{t+|bg|двусмислен}} |
* Bulgarian: {{t+|bg|двусмислен}} |
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* Catalan: {{t+|ca|ambigu}} |
* Catalan: {{t+|ca|ambigu|m}}, {{t+|ca|ambigua|f}} |
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* Chinese: |
* Chinese: |
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*: |
*: Cantonese: {{t|yue|歧義|tr=kei4 ji6}}, {{t|yue| |
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*: Hokkien: {{t|nan-hbl|歧義|tr=kî-gī}}, {{t|nan-hbl| |
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*: Mandarin: {{t+|cmn| |
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* Czech: {{t+|cs|mnohoznačný|m}} |
* Czech: {{t+|cs|mnohoznačný|m}} |
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* Danish: {{t+|da|tvetydig}}, {{t+|da|flertydig}}, {{t|da|dobbelttydig}} |
* Danish: {{t+|da|tvetydig}}, {{t+|da|flertydig}}, {{t|da|dobbelttydig}} |
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* Dutch: {{t+|nl|meerduidig}}, {{t+|nl|dubbelzinnig}}, {{t+|nl|ambigu}} |
* Dutch: {{t+|nl|meerduidig}}, {{t+|nl|dubbelzinnig}}, {{t+|nl|ambigu}} |
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* Esperanto: {{t+|eo|ambigua}} |
* Esperanto: {{t+|eo|ambigua}}, {{t|eo|plursenca}} |
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* Finnish: {{t|fi|tulkinnanvarainen}} |
* Finnish: {{t|fi|moniselitteinen}}, {{t+|fi|monitulkintainen}}, {{t|fi|tulkinnanvarainen}} |
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* French: {{t+|fr|ambigu}} |
* French: {{t+|fr|ambigu}} |
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* Galician: {{t|gl|ambiguo}} |
* Galician: {{t|gl|ambiguo}} |
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*: Ancient: {{t|grc|ἀμφίβολος}} |
*: Ancient: {{t|grc|ἀμφίβολος}} |
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* Hebrew: {{t|he|דו משמעי|m|tr=du mashmaí}} |
* Hebrew: {{t|he|דו משמעי|m|tr=du mashmaí}} |
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* Hungarian: {{t|hu|többértelmű}}, {{t+|hu|kétértelmű}}, {{t|hu|[[nem]] [[egyértelmű]]}} |
* Hungarian: {{t+|hu|többértelmű}}, {{t+|hu|kétértelmű}}, {{t|hu|[[nem]] [[egyértelmű]]}} |
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* Icelandic: {{t|is|óskýr}} |
* Icelandic: {{t|is|óskýr}} |
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{{trans-mid}} |
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* Indonesian: {{t+|id|rancu}}, {{t+|id|kabur}} |
* Indonesian: {{t+|id|rancu}}, {{t+|id|kabur}} |
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* Italian: {{t+|it|ambiguo|m}} |
* Italian: {{t+|it|ambiguo|m}} |
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* Swedish: {{t+|sv|tvetydig}}, {{t+|sv|dubbeltydig}}, ({{t+|sv|osäker}}) |
* Swedish: {{t+|sv|tvetydig}}, {{t+|sv|dubbeltydig}}, ({{t+|sv|osäker}}) |
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* Tagalog: {{t|tl|talohimig}}, {{t|tl|taluhimig}} |
* Tagalog: {{t|tl|talohimig}}, {{t|tl|taluhimig}} |
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* Thai: {{t|th|คลุมเครือ|tr=klum kreua}}, {{t+|th|กำกวม}} |
* Thai: {{t+|th|คลุมเครือ|tr=klum kreua}}, {{t+|th|กำกวม}} |
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* Turkish: {{t+|tr|belirsiz}} |
* Turkish: {{t+|tr|belirsiz}}, {{t+|tr|iki anlamlı}}, {{t+|tr|ikircil}} |
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* Ukrainian: {{t+|uk|багатозначний}} |
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* Vietnamese: {{t |
* Vietnamese: {{t+|vi|tối nghĩa}} |
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{{trans-bottom}} |
{{trans-bottom}} |
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{{ |
{{checktrans-top}} |
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* Bulgarian: {{t+|bg|неясен}} |
* Bulgarian: {{t+check|bg|неясен}} <!-- Was under non-surviving sense "vague and unclear" --> |
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* Danish: {{t+check|da|dunkel}}, {{t-check|da|forblommet}} <!-- Were under non-surviving sense "vague and unclear" --> |
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* Danish: {{t+|da|dunkel}}, {{t|da|forblommet}} |
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* Esperanto: {{t+check|eo|ambigua}} <!-- Was under non-surviving sense "vague and unclear" --> |
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* Galician: {{t-check|gl|ambiguo}} <!-- Was under non-surviving sense "vague and unclear" --> |
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* Esperanto: {{t+|eo|ambigua}} |
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* German: {{t+check|de|unklar}}, {{t+check|de|vage}} <!-- Were under non-surviving sense "vague and unclear" --> |
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* Finnish: {{t+|fi|epäselvä}}, {{t|fi|moniselitteinen}} |
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* French: {{t+|fr|ambigu|m}} |
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* Galician: {{t|gl|ambiguo}} |
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* German: {{t+|de|unklar}}, {{t+|de|vage}} |
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* Greek: |
* Greek: |
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*: Ancient Greek: {{t|grc|ἀμφίβολος}} |
*: Ancient Greek: {{t-check|grc|ἀμφίβολος}} <!-- Was under non-surviving sense "vague and unclear" --> |
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{{trans-mid}} |
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* Macedonian: {{t-check|mk|нејасен|m}} <!-- Was under non-surviving sense "vague and unclear" --> |
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* Norwegian: {{t-check|no|vag}}, {{t+check|no|uklar}} <!-- Were under non-surviving sense "vague and unclear" --> |
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* Macedonian: {{t|mk|нејасен|m}} |
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* Norwegian: {{t|no|vag}}, {{t+|no|uklar}} |
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* Serbo-Croatian: {{t+check|sh|nejasan|m}} <!-- Was under non-surviving sense "vague and unclear" --> |
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* Serbo-Croatian: {{t+|sh|nejasan|m}} |
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* Tagalog: {{t-check|tl|talohimig}} <!-- Was under non-surviving sense "vague and unclear" --> |
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* Spanish: {{t+|es|ambiguo}} |
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* Vietnamese: {{t+check|vi|mơ hồ}} <!-- Was under non-surviving sense "vague and unclear" --> |
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* Vietnamese: {{t+|vi|mơ hồ}} |
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{{trans-bottom}} |
{{trans-bottom}} |
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===References=== |
===References=== |
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* {{R:OED2}} |
* {{R:OED2}} |
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⚫ |
Latest revision as of 10:09, 2 June 2024
English
[edit]Etymology
[edit]From Latin ambiguus (“moving from side to side, of doubtful nature”), from ambigere (“to go about, wander, doubt”), from ambi- (“around, about, on both sides”) + agere (“to drive, move”).
Pronunciation
[edit]- (UK) IPA(key): /æmˈbɪɡ.ju.əs/
- (US, Canada) IPA(key): /æmˈbɪɡ.ju.əs/, [ɛəmˈbɪɡ.ju.əs]
- (General Australian) IPA(key): /æmˈbɪɡ.jʉ.əs/
- Rhymes: -ɪɡjuəs
- Hyphenation: am‧bi‧gu‧ous
Adjective
[edit]ambiguous (comparative more ambiguous, superlative most ambiguous)
- Open to multiple interpretations.
- Synonyms: equivocal, unclear
- Antonyms: unambiguous, clear
- The politician was criticized for his ambiguous statements and lack of precision.
- (obsolete, of a person) Hesitant; uncertain; not taking sides.
- 1662, Thomas Salusbury, (Please provide the book title or journal name):
- And forasmuch as in this same question I am ambiguous, and Simplicius is resolute....
Derived terms
[edit]Related terms
[edit]Translations
[edit]open to multiple interpretations
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked
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See also
[edit]Further reading
[edit]- “ambiguous”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
- “ambiguous”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
References
[edit]- John A. Simpson and Edmund S. C. Weiner, editors (1989), “ambiguous”, in The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd edition, Oxford: Clarendon Press, →ISBN.
Categories:
- English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European
- English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *h₂en-
- English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *h₂eǵ-
- English terms derived from Latin
- English 4-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio links
- Rhymes:English/ɪɡjuəs
- Rhymes:English/ɪɡjuəs/4 syllables
- English lemmas
- English adjectives
- English terms with usage examples
- English terms with obsolete senses
- English terms with quotations
- en:Ambiguity