ambiguous

[am-big-yoo-uh s] /æmˈbɪg yu əs/
adjective
1.
open to or having several possible meanings or interpretations; equivocal:
an ambiguous answer.
2.
Linguistics. (of an expression) exhibiting constructional homonymity; having two or more structural descriptions, as the sequence Flying planes can be dangerous.
3.
of doubtful or uncertain nature; difficult to comprehend, distinguish, or classify:
a rock of ambiguous character.
4.
lacking clearness or definiteness; obscure; indistinct:
an ambiguous shape; an ambiguous future.
Origin
1520-30; < Latin ambiguus, equivalent to ambig(ere) be uncertain (amb- ambi- + -igere combining form of agere to drive, lead, act) + -uus deverbal adj. suffix; see -ous
Related forms
ambiguously, adverb
ambiguousness, noun
unambiguous, adjective
Can be confused
ambiguous, ambivalent.
Synonyms
1. ambiguous, equivocal, cryptic, enigmatic describe conditions or statements not clear in meaning. ambiguous can refer to a statement, act, or attitude that is capable of two or more often contradictory interpretations, usually accidentally or unintentionally so: an ambiguous passage in the preamble. equivocal, usually applied to spoken as well as written language, also means susceptible of two or more interpretations, and it usually suggests a deliberate intent to mislead by avoiding clarity: saving face with an equivocal response to an embarrassing question. cryptic usually refers to intentional obscurity, especially in language, and often implies a private or hidden meaning but stresses resultant mystification or puzzlement: a cryptic remark that left us struggling to interpret his intention. enigmatic focuses on perplexity resulting from a mysterious or imponderable event or utterance, often one of great importance or deep significance: prophetic texts so enigmatic that their meaning has been disputed for centuries. 3. dubious, vague, indeterminate, unclassifiable, anomalous. 4. puzzling, enigmatic, problematic.
Antonyms
1. explicit. 3. certain. 4. clear, precise, unambiguous.
Examples from the web for ambiguous
  • In the hurry of ordinary business, I had been ambiguous as to when and where we'd chat.
  • Confusing, ambiguous communication won't relay the correct news.
  • The policy may be too ambiguous to help.
  • And as such, it is often inherently ambiguous and open to interpretation.
  • Readers can find the ambiguous answer in the appendix.
  • It seems to be ambiguous and totally unpredictable.
  • There may be a villain, but reality is frustrating because it's often ambiguous.
  • Sometimes you'll get a text asking you to clarify or add detail to ambiguous questions.
  • You're asking a subjective and ambiguous question that doesn't have a definite yes or no answer.
  • Now just 26, she has developed an intriguingly ambiguous persona, at once tauntingly tedious and irritatingly captivating.
British Dictionary definitions for ambiguous

ambiguous

/æmˈbɪɡjʊəs/
adjective
1.
having more than one possible interpretation or meaning
2.
difficult to understand or classify; obscure
Derived Forms
ambiguously, adverb
ambiguousness, noun
Word Origin
C16: from Latin ambiguus going here and there, uncertain, from ambigere to go around, from ambi- + agere to lead, act
Word Origin and History for ambiguous
adj.

1520s, from Latin ambiguus "having double meaning, shifting, changeable, doubtful," adjective derived from ambigere "to dispute about," literally "to wander," from ambi- "about" (see ambi-) + agere "drive, lead, act" (see act). Sir Thomas More (1528) seems to have first used it in English, but ambiguity dates back to c.1400. Related: Ambiguously; ambiguousness.