Definition

1. Noun:
   • The use of vague or ambiguous language to deceive or mislead: "Equivocation" refers to the act of expressing oneself in an unclear way, often deliberately, to avoid commitment or to conceal the truth.
   • An intentionally vague or ambiguous statement: It can also refer to a specific instance of such language—a statement that is not technically false but is designed to be misleading or to evade a direct answer.
   • A logical fallacy: In logic, it is a fallacy arising from the use of a word or phrase in more than one sense within an argument.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The politician's answer was pure equivocation; he never directly addressed the question.
  • Her equivocation about her plans made everyone suspicious.
  • The contract was full of legal equivocation, leaving its meaning open to interpretation.

Advanced Usage

• "To be guilty of equivocation": To have deliberately used ambiguous language.
  • The witness was guilty of equivocation during the cross-examination.
• "A masterpiece of equivocation": An exceptionally clever or artful use of vague language.
  • His press release was a masterpiece of equivocation, pleasing no one but offending no one either.

Variants and Related Words

• Equivocate (verb): To use ambiguous language to conceal the truth or avoid commitment.
  • He chose to equivocate rather than give a straight answer.
• Equivocal (adjective): Open to more than one interpretation; ambiguous.
  • The data from the experiment was equivocal and required further study.
• Equivocator (noun): A person who equivocates.
  • He was known as a skilled equivocator in diplomatic circles.

Synonyms

• Prevarication: The act of avoiding a direct answer or being deliberately ambiguous.
• Ambiguity: The quality of being open to more than one interpretation.
• Evasiveness: The tendency to avoid giving direct answers.
• Double-talk: Language that appears to be meaningful but is actually a mixture of sense and nonsense.

Related Phrases

• To hedge one's words: To use non-committal or ambiguous language.
  • Instead of a clear promise, he hedged his words with equivocation.
• To speak out of both sides of one's mouth: To make contradictory or misleading statements.
  • The CEO was accused of speaking out of both sides of his mouth, engaging in blatant equivocation.

Related Idioms

• To beat around the bush: To avoid talking about what is important.
  • Stop beating around the bush and answer the question without equivocation.
• To be weasel-worded: To be filled with words that are intentionally ambiguous or misleading.
  • The statement was so weasel-worded it was a classic example of equivocation.

Noun

1. falsification by means of vague or ambiguous language
2. intentionally vague or ambiguous
3. a statement that is not literally false but that cleverly avoids an unpleasant truth