Ambiguous

Practice This Word

Open to more than one interpretation; not clear or definite.

adjective

Ambiguous

Open to more than one interpretation; not clear or definite.

adjective

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Imagine This

Imagine a contract clause that can be read as either granting rights or denying them, depending on how you interpret a single word.

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Sounds Like

am-BIG-yoo-uhs

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Looks Like

Contains the root ambi- (two) seen in ambidextrous; the suffix -ous marks an adjective describing a property.

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Remember This

Ambiguous comes from Latin ambiguus meaning doubtful; related terms include ambiguity and ambiguousness.

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Other Forms

ambiguitynoun

ambiguouslyadverb

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Connect With

unclear, equivocal, obscure, nebulous, cryptic; ambiguity

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Note

Ambiguous describes meaning, not punctuation alone. Separate from vague; ambiguous implies multiple possible interpretations rather than lack of information. Use 'unambiguous' for something with a single clear meaning.

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Study Deeper

Examples

The instructions on the label were ambiguous, leaving customers unsure which safety steps to follow.
Her ambiguous reply suggested she might attend the meeting or might not, depending on the weather.

Synonyms

unclearvagueequivocalobscurecryptic

Antonyms

clearunambiguousdefiniteexplicit

Etymology

From Latin ambiguus 'doubtful', from ambi- 'both' + agere 'to drive, act' (to drive two ways, i.e., two possible meanings).

Mnemonic

Mnemonic: AMBI means two; GUOUS sounds like 'guess'. Ambiguous = two guesses—one word, two possible meanings.