Definition of ambiguity Ambiguity

/æˌmbɪgjuˈʌti/ - [atmbigyuutee] - am•bi•gu•i•ty

We found 9 definitions of ambiguity from 6 different sources.

What does ambiguity mean?

Noun Plural: ambiguities
ambiguity - unclearness by virtue of having more than one meaning
		equivocalness
		unambiguity, unequivocalness clarity achieved by the avoidance of ambiguity
		unclearness incomprehensibility as a result of not being clear
		evasiveness, equivocation, prevarication falsification by means of vague or ambiguous language
		lexical ambiguity, polysemy the ambiguity of an individual word or phrase that can be used (in different contexts) to express two or more different meanings
ambiguity - an expression whose meaning cannot be determined from its context
		locution, saying, expression a word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations; "pardon the expression"
		loophole a small hole in a fortified wall; for observation or discharging weapons
		amphibology, amphiboly an ambiguous grammatical construction; e.g., `they are flying planes' can mean either that someone is flying planes or that something is flying planes
		parisology the use of ambiguous words

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ambiguity (Noun)
Something liable to more than one interpretation, explanation or meaning, if that meaning etc cannot be determined from its context.
ambiguity (Noun)
The state of being ambiguous.

ambiguity (n.)
The quality or state of being ambiguous; doubtfulness or uncertainty, particularly as to the signification of language, arising from its admitting of more than one meaning; an equivocal word or expression.

ambiguity
Something liable to more than one interpretation, explanation or meaning, if that meaning cannot be determined from its context.
ambiguity
The use of equivocal or ambiguous expressions, esp. in order to mislead.

Ambiguity means something that can mean two different things. Such things are ambiguous. Sometimes the word is used to mean something that can mean several things or that is unclear. In the proper sense it should mean “two different meanings” because “ambi” comes from the Greek word for “two”.

Words or sentences that are ambiguous can lead to misunderstandings (people get the wrong meaning). This can sometimes be serious, but it can also be funny. Jokes often rely on ambiguity.

A mother says to her little boy: “Johnny, go over the road and see how old Mrs Jones is”. The boy comes back and says to his mother: “Mrs Jones says it is none of my business”.

The mother meant “old” in a friendly way (“dear old Mrs Jones”), but the sentence could also mean: find out Mrs Jones’s age. This is obviously how Johnny understood his mother's instruction.

The opposite of ambiguous is unambiguous (meaning that something is perfectly clear and can only have one meaning).