ambiguity

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

• IPA^(key): /æm.bɪˈɡjuː.ɪ.ti/
• (weak vowel merger) IPA^(key): /ˌæm.bəˈɡjuː.ə.ti/

• Audio (US):

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• Rhymes: -uːɪti
• Hyphenation: am‧bi‧gu‧i‧ty

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."

• (state of being ambiguous): ambiguousness, imprecision, polysemy
• weasel word

• unambiguity

• ambiguous