Added 9 October 2026
equivocation
/ɪˌkwɪvəˈkeɪʃən/ noun
Latin root: aequivocātiō Wiktionary
noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about equivocation at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- A statement that is not literally false but that cleverly avoids an unpleasant truth.
- Intentionally vague or ambiguous.
- Falsification by means of vague or ambiguous language.
Origin
c. 1380, from Middle English equivocacion, from Old French equivocation, from Medieval Latin aequivocātiō, from aequivocō, from Late Latin aequivocus (“ambiguous, equivocal”), from Latin aequus (“equal”) + vocō (“call”); a calque of Ancient Greek ὁμωνυμία (homōnumía).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)