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ambiguous definition

am·bigu·ous (am big′yo̵̅o̅ əs)

adjective

  1. having two or more possible meanings
  2. not clear; indefinite; vague

Etymology: L ambiguus < ambigere, to wander < ambi-, about, around + agere, to do, act

Related Forms:

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

ambiguous Synonyms

ambiguous

modif.

equivocal, enigmatic, vague, amphibolic; see obscure 1. See syn. study atobscure.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

ambiguous Usage Examples

Preposition: on

  • point: Everyday language is very ambiguous on this point: ' How would you classify ( identify ) this?

Adjective complement with noun phrase

  • make: By making the imagery ambiguous I want to allow space for individual interpretation.

Modifies a noun

  • genitalia: In pregnant women the drug can result in ambiguous genitalia in any male fetus.

Modifying Another Word

  • morally: This is a morally ambiguous world yet le Carré never lets us forget that the other side is worse, just.

Used with adjective complement

  • remain: The general efficacy of the nurse crop remained ambiguous.

Preposition: in

  • context: The stories of course were deliberately designed so as to be ambiguous in a Northern Irish context.
ambiguous usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

ambiguous quotes

He was rotund, provincial, resolutely middle-class, studiously ambiguous and sometimes wavering in his opinions.

-McFadden, Robert D(ennis)

ambiguous quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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MLA Style

"ambiguous." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 4 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/ambiguous>

APA Style

ambiguous. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 4th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/ambiguous

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