 ambiguous |
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| 1. | [ adjective ] open to two or more interpretations; or of uncertain nature or significance; or (often) intended to mislead | |
| Synonyms: | equivocal | |
| Examples: | "an equivocal statement" "an equivocal (or ambiguous) message" "the officer's equivocal behavior increased the victim's uneasiness" |
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| Related terms: | unequivocal ambivalent evasive indeterminate double | |
| 2. | [ adjective ] having more than one possible meaning | |
| Examples: | "ambiguous words" "frustrated by ambiguous instructions, the parents were unable to assemble the toy" |
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| Related terms: | unambiguous double-barreled left-handed double-edged polysemous uncertain left-handed polysemantic multivalent enigmatic equivocal unclear | |
| 3. | [ adjective ] (psychology) having no intrinsic or objective meaning; not organized in conventional patterns | |
| Examples: | "an ambiguous situation with no frame of reference" "ambiguous inkblots" |
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| Related terms: | psychology unstructured | |
| Similar spelling: |
ambiguously amebous amphigory ambiguity amoebous amoebic |
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