as in explicit
so clearly expressed as to leave no doubt about the meaning
those who believe that the language of the Bible is univocal: it is never metaphorical but intended to be taken literally
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Recent Examples of univocal
Similarly, the dozens of people whom Greaves interviews in the film aren’t delivering a single and univocal history of the Harlem Renaissance but a polyphonic transmission of it.
—
Richard Brody, New Yorker, 23 Sep. 2025
At a press event this week, the new Paramount leadership expressed their univocal support for theatrical movies.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 14 Aug. 2025
An understanding of user diversity is often unexplored territory for brands, requiring a shift from univocal to multi-frequency communication that constantly and comprehensively reignites connection with targets, drawing them in and reaffirming values, proving to be a true asset.
—Fairchild Studio, WWD, 26 Nov. 2024
Her inability to distill a message from her show is a testament not so much to Jane’s insufficient writerly chops as to the challenge of wringing out a univocal meaning from biracial America.
—Tyler Austin Harper, The Atlantic, 13 Aug. 2024
Today’s political mainstream consists of a rising univocal, powerful, and intolerant pro-war movement for which the invasion is existential.
—Tatiana Stanovaya, Foreign Affairs, 18 Nov. 2022
Yet, as with almost everything Shostakovich wrote, the score defeats a univocal interpretation, its classical four-movement structure interlaced with political, personal, and purely musical messages.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2022
Who Lived Her Songs—Cash greatly complicates the popcult caricature of country music as a univocal genre of jingoist belligerence and boosterism, as exemplified by Toby Keith, Daryl Worley, Hank Williams Jr., and the late-career Charlie Daniels.
—Chris Lehmann, The New Republic, 7 Dec. 2021
But the narrative emerging from key players in the Arab world for which Tunisia’s Arab Spring legacy presents a clear challenge — Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt — was far more univocal: The events in Tunisia marked the death knell for political Islam in democracy.
—Washington Post, 27 July 2021
Richard Brody, New Yorker, 23 Sep. 2025
At a press event this week, the new Paramount leadership expressed their univocal support for theatrical movies.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 14 Aug. 2025
An understanding of user diversity is often unexplored territory for brands, requiring a shift from univocal to multi-frequency communication that constantly and comprehensively reignites connection with targets, drawing them in and reaffirming values, proving to be a true asset.
—Fairchild Studio, WWD, 26 Nov. 2024
Her inability to distill a message from her show is a testament not so much to Jane’s insufficient writerly chops as to the challenge of wringing out a univocal meaning from biracial America.
—Tyler Austin Harper, The Atlantic, 13 Aug. 2024
Today’s political mainstream consists of a rising univocal, powerful, and intolerant pro-war movement for which the invasion is existential.
—Tatiana Stanovaya, Foreign Affairs, 18 Nov. 2022
Yet, as with almost everything Shostakovich wrote, the score defeats a univocal interpretation, its classical four-movement structure interlaced with political, personal, and purely musical messages.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2022
Who Lived Her Songs—Cash greatly complicates the popcult caricature of country music as a univocal genre of jingoist belligerence and boosterism, as exemplified by Toby Keith, Daryl Worley, Hank Williams Jr., and the late-career Charlie Daniels.
—Chris Lehmann, The New Republic, 7 Dec. 2021
But the narrative emerging from key players in the Arab world for which Tunisia’s Arab Spring legacy presents a clear challenge — Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt — was far more univocal: The events in Tunisia marked the death knell for political Islam in democracy.
—Washington Post, 27 July 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for univocal
Adjective
-
Or, at least, the non-explicit words in Bodak Yellow.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
8 June 2026
-
The expansion was explicit about its intentions.—
Hannah Abraham,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
Adjective
-
There is a definite increase in riders who camp out, play loud music, are menacing, smoke, or walk back and forth selling products or asking for handouts and riders who shout, swear and intimidate.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
8 June 2026
-
Of course, there are definite drawbacks to this method, such as making your car more vulnerable to theft or vandalism, not to mention damage in the event of an unexpected rainstorm.—
Molly Burford,
Southern Living,
8 June 2026
Adjective
-
About 80 times a year, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety buys a brand new car for the express purpose of crashing it.—
Keith Laing,
USA Today,
4 June 2026
-
The dining room attracts area business folk for an express prix-fixe lunch (salmon sashimi and pumpkin gnocchi are two popular options).—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
Disability parking permits are assigned to a person, not a specific car.—
Michelle Marchante,
Miami Herald,
8 June 2026
-
Sierra did not in her letter address specific concerns raised by Wooden or Gottfried.—
Helen I. Bennett,
Hartford Courant,
8 June 2026
Adjective
-
But getting in the lake's often-frigid waters is the definitive Tahoe experience.—
Alia Beard Rau,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
-
Newport, Rhode Island On this breath-taking peninsula overlooking Narragansett Bay, Castle Hill Inn is a definitive choice for solace, if for no other reason that waking up to the dramatic view each morning.—
Judith Garrison,
AJC.com,
9 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Univocal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/univocal. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
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