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''equivocal'' ▫ᴱᴺ｜Definition｜1st｜20250726113233-00-⌔

equivocal - Wiktionary, the free dictionary

English

Adjective

equivocal (comparative more equivocal, superlative most equivocal)

  • Having two or more equally applicable meanings; capable of double or multiple interpretation.
    • ✤ Synonyms: ambiguous, indeterminate
    • ✤ Antonyms: unequivocal, univocal
    • ✤ * equivocal words*
    • ✤ an equivocal sentence
    • ✤ For the beauties of Shakespeare are not of so dim or equivocal a nature as to be visible only to learned eyes.1
  • Capable of being ascribed to different motives, or of signifying opposite feelings, purposes, or characters; deserving to be suspected.
    • ✤ His actions are equivocal.
    • ✤ * equivocal repentances*2
    • ✤ From that position he observed his confederate go through the curious procedure of kneeling down on the bedroom floor and for a full minute pressing his ear to the sheet of metal that had already engaged his attention. Then he rose to his feet, nodded, dusted his trousers, and Mr Carlyle moved to a less equivocal position.3
  • Uncertain, as an indication or sign.
    • ✤ Synonyms: uncertain, doubtful, incongruous
    • ✤ Antonym: certain
    • ✤ How equivocal a test.4

Noun

equivocal (plural equivocals)

  • (philosophy) A word or expression capable of different meanings; an ambiguous term.
    • ✤ Synonyms: double entendre, equivoque
    • ✤ Some equivocals are merely ambiguous. Sharp is an example. It is equivocal since it is appropriate to call different types of things ‘sharp’ though what it is for them to be sharp differs.5

Etymology

From Late Latin aequivocus +‎ -al, from aequus +‎ vocō. By surface analysis, equi- +‎ vocal.

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA: /əˈkwɪvəkəl/
    • Audio (Southern England): 🔊
  • (US) IPA: /ɪˈkwɪvək(ə)l/
  • Hyphenation (UK): equivo‧cal

Printed 2026-06-28.

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Footnotes

  1. 1817, William Hazlitt, Characters of Shakespeare’s Plays: ↩

  2. 1649, J[ohn] Milton, ΕΙΚΟΝΟΚΛΆΣΤΗΣ [Eikonoklástēs] […], London: […] Matthew Simmons, […], →OCLC: ↩

  3. 1914, Ernest Bramah, Max Carrados: ↩

  4. 1796, Edmund Burke, A Letter from the Right Honourable Edmund Burke to a Noble Lord, on the Attacks Made upon Him and His Pension, […], London: […] J. Owen, […], and F[rancis] and C[harles] Rivington, […], →OCLC: ↩

  5. 2012, Deborah Achtenberg, Cognition of Value in Aristotle’s Ethics: ↩

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Secondary

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