Equivocal: meaning, example and synonyms
Equivocaladj. Open to more than one interpretation; ambiguous or inconclusive.
Example
The trial's results were equivocal: patients improved slightly, but the gains were too small to rule out chance.
- Part of speech
- adjective
- Synonyms
- ambiguous, ambivalent, vague, inconclusive
- Antonyms
- clear, unequivocal, definite, explicit
- Memory tip
- equi (equal) + voc (voice): two equal voices saying different things.
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Check yourself: Equivocal in context
Asked whether she supported the merger, the director gave a reply that was ______: she praised its potential but listed several reasons for caution, leaving reporters unsure of her position.
Answer: equivocal. A reply leaning both ways that leaves listeners unsure is equivocal. Unrivaled (unmatched), immutable (unchanging) and inconspicuous (unnoticed) don't describe an ambiguous answer.
Because the fossil evidence is ______, paleontologists cannot yet say whether the creature walked upright or only occasionally stood on two legs.
Answer: equivocal. Evidence that supports two readings is equivocal. Unrivaled (unmatched), obtrusive (intrusively noticeable) and immutable (unchanging) wouldn't explain why scientists can't decide.