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tergiversate

To tergiversate is to often change your mind about a subject or cause, or to change your alliances.

(verb)

An example of to tergiversate is for a politician to change political parties and denounce a bill that they once helped to pass.

See tergiversate in Webster's New World College Dictionary

intransitive verb tergiversated, tergiversating

to desert a cause, party, etc.; become a renegade; apostatize
to use evasions or subterfuge; equivocate

Origin: < L tergiversatus, pp. of tergiversari, to turn one's back, decline, shift < tergum, the back (see tergum) + versari, to turn: see verse

Related Forms:

tergiversation noun
tergiversator noun

See tergiversate in American Heritage Dictionary 4

intransitive verb ter·giv·er·sat·ed, ter·giv·er·sat·ing, ter·giv·er·sates

To use evasions or ambiguities; equivocate.
To change sides; apostatize.

Origin:

Origin: Latin tergiversārī, tergiversāt-

Origin: : tergum, the back

Origin: + versāre, to turn; see wer-² in Indo-European roots

Related Forms:

terˌgi·ver·saˈtion noun

terˈgi·ver·saˌtor (-sāˌtər) noun

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