SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
ambiguity
noun
Uncertainty caused by more than one possible meaning or interpretation.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
More than one interpretation
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topVagueness means lack of precision; ambiguity can arise from two precise but competing meanings.
RELATED FORMS, ONE FEATURED ENTRY
The ambiguous family
ambiguity is grouped under ambiguous in the main dictionaries. This form keeps its meaning and previous study record.
ambiguousadjective
Open to more than one interpretation or not clearly expressed.
Open to several readings
Closest synonyms
Related expressions
The ambiguous directions could describe either entrance.
A message about a shared studio said that members could reserve the back room after the next meeting. The timing was ambiguous: did booking begin when the meeting ended, or could members reserve dates that followed it?
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See ambiguity in use
The ambiguity in the invitation left guests unsure about the dress code.
The ambiguity in the recycling club's notice, 'Bring bottles and bags with labels,' left volunteers unsure whether both kinds of container needed identification.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license