ambiguous adjective - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes | Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary at OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com

Definition of ambiguous adjective from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

ambiguous

adjective
 
/æmˈbɪɡjuəs/
 
/æmˈbɪɡjuəs/
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  1. that can be understood in more than one way; having different meanings
    • an ambiguous word/term/statement
    • Her account was deliberately ambiguous.
    Extra Examples
    • The paragraph is rendered ambiguous by the writer's careless use of pronouns.
    • It is for the jury to decide what an ambiguous statement was intended to mean.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs
    • be
    • remain
    • leave something
    • …
    adverb
    • highly
    • very
    • rather
    • …
    See full entry
  2. not clearly stated or defined
    • His role has always been ambiguous.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs
    • be
    • remain
    • leave something
    • …
    adverb
    • highly
    • very
    • rather
    • …
    See full entry
    3. opposite unambiguous
    Word Originearly 16th cent. (in the sense ‘indistinct, obscure’): from Latin ambiguus ‘doubtful’ (from ambigere ‘waver, go around’, from ambi- ‘both ways’ + agere ‘to drive’) + -ous.
See ambiguous in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee ambiguous in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
Check pronunciation: ambiguous

Nearby words

perspective
noun
 
 
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