equivocation

noun

equiv·​o·​ca·​tion i-ˌkwi-və-ˈkā-shən 

plural equivocations

: deliberate evasiveness in wording : the use of ambiguous or equivocal language

Like any good teacher, he does his best to answer with clarity and minimal equivocation.

—Eric Bugyis

Let me say now without equivocation or need for reflection: Devils tower is the most amazing sight of my entire trip.

—Mel White

: an ambiguous or deliberately evasive statement

His answers were filled with evasions and equivocations.

Increasingly, the inaccuracies, the elisions, and the equivocations were viewed as deliberate acts of subversion, efforts to assert some control over the past instead of simply recording it.

—Benjamin Soskis

Synonyms

• circumlocution
• shuffle
• tergiversation

Examples of equivocation in a Sentence

your equivocation when asked where you were last night is not reassuring

the equivocation of the last line of the poem, "That is all ye know on earth, and all ye need to know"

Recent Examples on the Web

The equivocation over the ground invasion reflects Mr. Netanyahu’s need to satisfy far-right cabinet ministers, who are pushing for the full re-occupation of Gaza, and Israel’s top generals, who believe such a move would be difficult to sustain and dangerous to hostages held in Gaza. —Patrick Kingsley, New York Times, 19 May 2025

The very title of the exhibition, the first Conceptualist project to use photocopy as a medium, signals a deliberate equivocation over nothing less than the ontology of the art object. —Jeffrey Weiss, Artforum, 1 May 2025

Now is not the time for equivocation or delay. —Dr. Josh Green, CNN Money, 5 Apr. 2025

There is no equivocation about whether or not Jamie killed Katie. —Paul Tassi, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1609, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for equivocation

• abbreviation
• abomination
• acceleration
• accentuation
• accommodation
• accreditation
• acculturation
• accumulation
• acetylation
• adjudication
• administration
• adulteration