ambiguous

Meanings

1. Having more than one possible meaning.
2. Not clear or definite.

Example sentences

• "Her answer was ambiguous, so we asked again."

  Level B2, Meaning 1

• "The sentence is ambiguous and could mean two things."

  Level B2, Meaning 1

• "The rules were ambiguous, which caused arguments."

  Level C1, Meaning 2

• "The film has an ambiguous ending."

  Level C1, Meaning 1

Synonyms and antonyms

Look-alikes and common mistakes

• vague : Vague means not detailed or not clear at all. Ambiguous means clear enough to be read in two different ways.

Word family and forms

Word partners

Words and phrases that often go with "ambiguous".

• an ambiguous answer
• deliberately ambiguous
• ambiguous language
• an ambiguous message
• somewhat ambiguous
• ambiguous meaning

Origin

Ambiguous comes from Latin ambiguus, which meant going two ways or doubtful. It is built from ambi, meaning around or both ways, and agere, meaning to drive or move.

Checked against: Wiktionary, the free dictionary, Merriam-Webster Dictionary, Dictionary.com.

Usage notes

Not to be confused with "ambivalent", which describes mixed feelings rather than unclear meaning.

How to remember it

Ambi means both, as in ambidextrous (both hands): ambiguous means two meanings at the same time.

Test yourself

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