equivocate

Equivocate is defined as to use vague language in order to mislead or deceive.

(verb)

An example of equivocate is a teenage girl telling her parents she's staying the night at a friend's house, when really she's staying at her boyfriend's house.

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See equivocate in Webster's New World College Dictionary

intransitive verb equivocated, equivocating

to use equivocal terms in order to deceive, mislead, hedge, etc.; be deliberately ambiguous

Origin: ME equivocaten < ML aequivocatus, pp. of aequivocari, to have the same sound < LL aequivocus, of like sound < L aequus (see equal) + vox, voice

Related Forms:

See equivocate in American Heritage Dictionary 4

intransitive verb e·quiv·o·cat·ed, e·quiv·o·cat·ing, e·quiv·o·cates
  1. To use equivocal language intentionally.
  2. To avoid making an explicit statement. See Synonyms at lie2.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English equivocaten

Origin: , from Medieval Latin aequivocāre, aequivocāt-

Origin: , from Late Latin aequivocus, equivocal; see equivocal

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Related Forms:

  • e·quivˈo·caˌtor noun

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