"equivocate" meaning in English

See equivocate in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Verb

IPA: /ɪˈkwɪvəˌkeɪt/ [US] Audio: en-us-equivocate.ogg [US] Forms: equivocates [present, singular, third-person], equivocating [participle, present], equivocated [participle, past], equivocated [past]
Etymology: From Late Middle English equivocaten, from Medieval Latin aequivocātus, perfect passive participle of aequivocō (“I am called by the same name”), from Late Latin aequivocus (“ambiguous, equivocal”). Compare French équivoquer. Etymology templates: {{inh|en|enm|equivocaten}} Middle English equivocaten, {{der|en|ML.|aequivocātus}} Medieval Latin aequivocātus, {{m|la|aequivocō||I am called by the same name}} aequivocō (“I am called by the same name”), {{der|en|LL.|aequivocus||ambiguous, equivocal}} Late Latin aequivocus (“ambiguous, equivocal”), {{cog|fr|équivoquer}} French équivoquer Head templates: {{en-verb}} equivocate (third-person singular simple present equivocates, present participle equivocating, simple past and past participle equivocated)
  1. (intransitive) To speak using double meaning; to speak ambiguously, unclearly or doubtfully, with intent to deceive. Tags: intransitive Synonyms: prevaricate, evade, shuffle, quibble, adumbrate Translations (to express one's opinions in terms which admit of different senses, with intent to deceive): извъртам (izvǎrtam) (Bulgarian), harhauttaa (Finnish), johtaa harhaan (Finnish), berdolak-dalih (Malay), uttrycka sig tvetydigt (Swedish), kaçamak konuşmak (Turkish)
    Sense id: en-equivocate-en-verb-r2AvtQaU Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 77 23 Disambiguation of "to express one's opinions in terms which admit of different senses, with intent to deceive": 91 9
  2. (transitive) To render equivocal or ambiguous. Tags: transitive Translations (to render equivocal or ambiguous): saattaa kyseenalaiseksi (Finnish), kierrellä (Finnish), väistää (Finnish), pyöritellä (Finnish)
    Sense id: en-equivocate-en-verb-jTRmJQfe Disambiguation of 'to render equivocal or ambiguous': 5 95
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms: æquivocate [archaic] Derived forms: equivocal, equivocator Related terms: prevaricate

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

Download JSON data for equivocate meaning in English (5.0kB)

{
  "derived": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "equivocal"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "equivocator"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "equivocaten"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English equivocaten",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ML.",
        "3": "aequivocātus"
      },
      "expansion": "Medieval Latin aequivocātus",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "la",
        "2": "aequivocō",
        "3": "",
        "4": "I am called by the same name"
      },
      "expansion": "aequivocō (“I am called by the same name”)",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "LL.",
        "3": "aequivocus",
        "4": "",
        "5": "ambiguous, equivocal"
      },
      "expansion": "Late Latin aequivocus (“ambiguous, equivocal”)",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "fr",
        "2": "équivoquer"
      },
      "expansion": "French équivoquer",
      "name": "cog"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Late Middle English equivocaten, from Medieval Latin aequivocātus, perfect passive participle of aequivocō (“I am called by the same name”), from Late Latin aequivocus (“ambiguous, equivocal”). Compare French équivoquer.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "equivocates",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "equivocating",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "equivocated",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "equivocated",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "equivocate (third-person singular simple present equivocates, present participle equivocating, simple past and past participle equivocated)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "related": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "prevaricate"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "77 23",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1687, Edward Stillingfleet, The Unreasonableness of Separation: Or, An Impartial Account of the History, Nature and Pleas of the Present Separation from the Communion of the Church of England",
          "text": "All that Garnet had to say for him was that he supposed he meant to equivocate.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To speak using double meaning; to speak ambiguously, unclearly or doubtfully, with intent to deceive."
      ],
      "id": "en-equivocate-en-verb-r2AvtQaU",
      "links": [
        [
          "double meaning",
          "double meaning"
        ],
        [
          "deceive",
          "deceive"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive) To speak using double meaning; to speak ambiguously, unclearly or doubtfully, with intent to deceive."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "prevaricate"
        },
        {
          "word": "evade"
        },
        {
          "word": "shuffle"
        },
        {
          "word": "quibble"
        },
        {
          "word": "adumbrate"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "91 9",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "izvǎrtam",
          "sense": "to express one's opinions in terms which admit of different senses, with intent to deceive",
          "word": "извъртам"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "91 9",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to express one's opinions in terms which admit of different senses, with intent to deceive",
          "word": "harhauttaa"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "91 9",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to express one's opinions in terms which admit of different senses, with intent to deceive",
          "word": "johtaa harhaan"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "91 9",
          "code": "ms",
          "lang": "Malay",
          "sense": "to express one's opinions in terms which admit of different senses, with intent to deceive",
          "word": "berdolak-dalih"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "91 9",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "to express one's opinions in terms which admit of different senses, with intent to deceive",
          "word": "uttrycka sig tvetydigt"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "91 9",
          "code": "tr",
          "lang": "Turkish",
          "sense": "to express one's opinions in terms which admit of different senses, with intent to deceive",
          "word": "kaçamak konuşmak"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1647, George Buck, Reign of Richard the Third",
          "text": "He equivocated his vow by a mental reservation",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To render equivocal or ambiguous."
      ],
      "id": "en-equivocate-en-verb-jTRmJQfe",
      "links": [
        [
          "equivocal",
          "equivocal"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive) To render equivocal or ambiguous."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "5 95",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to render equivocal or ambiguous",
          "word": "saattaa kyseenalaiseksi"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "5 95",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to render equivocal or ambiguous",
          "word": "kierrellä"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "5 95",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to render equivocal or ambiguous",
          "word": "väistää"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "5 95",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to render equivocal or ambiguous",
          "word": "pyöritellä"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ɪˈkwɪvəˌkeɪt/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-us-equivocate.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/8/8f/En-us-equivocate.ogg/En-us-equivocate.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8f/En-us-equivocate.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (US)"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "tags": [
        "archaic"
      ],
      "word": "æquivocate"
    }
  ],
  "word": "equivocate"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English 4-syllable words",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English terms derived from Late Latin",
    "English terms derived from Medieval Latin",
    "English terms derived from Middle English",
    "English terms inherited from Middle English",
    "English terms with IPA pronunciation",
    "English terms with audio links",
    "English verbs"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "equivocal"
    },
    {
      "word": "equivocator"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "equivocaten"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English equivocaten",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ML.",
        "3": "aequivocātus"
      },
      "expansion": "Medieval Latin aequivocātus",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "la",
        "2": "aequivocō",
        "3": "",
        "4": "I am called by the same name"
      },
      "expansion": "aequivocō (“I am called by the same name”)",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "LL.",
        "3": "aequivocus",
        "4": "",
        "5": "ambiguous, equivocal"
      },
      "expansion": "Late Latin aequivocus (“ambiguous, equivocal”)",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "fr",
        "2": "équivoquer"
      },
      "expansion": "French équivoquer",
      "name": "cog"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Late Middle English equivocaten, from Medieval Latin aequivocātus, perfect passive participle of aequivocō (“I am called by the same name”), from Late Latin aequivocus (“ambiguous, equivocal”). Compare French équivoquer.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "equivocates",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "equivocating",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "equivocated",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "equivocated",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "equivocate (third-person singular simple present equivocates, present participle equivocating, simple past and past participle equivocated)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "prevaricate"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English intransitive verbs",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "Quotation templates to be cleaned"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1687, Edward Stillingfleet, The Unreasonableness of Separation: Or, An Impartial Account of the History, Nature and Pleas of the Present Separation from the Communion of the Church of England",
          "text": "All that Garnet had to say for him was that he supposed he meant to equivocate.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To speak using double meaning; to speak ambiguously, unclearly or doubtfully, with intent to deceive."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "double meaning",
          "double meaning"
        ],
        [
          "deceive",
          "deceive"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive) To speak using double meaning; to speak ambiguously, unclearly or doubtfully, with intent to deceive."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "prevaricate"
        },
        {
          "word": "evade"
        },
        {
          "word": "shuffle"
        },
        {
          "word": "quibble"
        },
        {
          "word": "adumbrate"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English transitive verbs"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1647, George Buck, Reign of Richard the Third",
          "text": "He equivocated his vow by a mental reservation",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To render equivocal or ambiguous."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "equivocal",
          "equivocal"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive) To render equivocal or ambiguous."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ɪˈkwɪvəˌkeɪt/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-us-equivocate.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/8/8f/En-us-equivocate.ogg/En-us-equivocate.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8f/En-us-equivocate.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (US)"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "tags": [
        "archaic"
      ],
      "word": "æquivocate"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "izvǎrtam",
      "sense": "to express one's opinions in terms which admit of different senses, with intent to deceive",
      "word": "извъртам"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to express one's opinions in terms which admit of different senses, with intent to deceive",
      "word": "harhauttaa"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to express one's opinions in terms which admit of different senses, with intent to deceive",
      "word": "johtaa harhaan"
    },
    {
      "code": "ms",
      "lang": "Malay",
      "sense": "to express one's opinions in terms which admit of different senses, with intent to deceive",
      "word": "berdolak-dalih"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "to express one's opinions in terms which admit of different senses, with intent to deceive",
      "word": "uttrycka sig tvetydigt"
    },
    {
      "code": "tr",
      "lang": "Turkish",
      "sense": "to express one's opinions in terms which admit of different senses, with intent to deceive",
      "word": "kaçamak konuşmak"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to render equivocal or ambiguous",
      "word": "saattaa kyseenalaiseksi"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to render equivocal or ambiguous",
      "word": "kierrellä"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to render equivocal or ambiguous",
      "word": "väistää"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to render equivocal or ambiguous",
      "word": "pyöritellä"
    }
  ],
  "word": "equivocate"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-05-01 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-04-21 using wiktextract (f4fd8c9 and c9440ce). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

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