"prevaricate" meaning in English

See prevaricate in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Verb

IPA: /pɹɪˈvaɹɪkeɪt/ [UK], /pɹɪˈvæɹɪkeɪt/ [US], /pɹɪˈvɛɹɪkeɪt/ [US] Audio: en-us-prevaricate.ogg Forms: prevaricates [present, singular, third-person], prevaricating [participle, present], prevaricated [participle, past], prevaricated [past]
Etymology: From the participle stem of Latin praevāricārī (“to walk crookedly; to play a false or double part”), from prae- + vāricāre (“to stand with feet apart, straddle”), from vāricus (“with feet spread apart”). Etymology templates: {{der|en|la|praevaricor|alt=praevāricārī|t=to walk crookedly; to play a false or double part}} Latin praevāricārī (“to walk crookedly; to play a false or double part”) Head templates: {{en-verb}} prevaricate (third-person singular simple present prevaricates, present participle prevaricating, simple past and past participle prevaricated)
  1. (transitive, intransitive, obsolete) To deviate, transgress; to go astray (from). Tags: intransitive, obsolete, transitive Translations (deviate, transgress): извъртам (izvǎrtam) (Bulgarian), afwijken (Dutch), terugkrabbelen (Dutch), prévariquer (French), tītahataha (Maori), prevaricar (Portuguese)
    Sense id: en-prevaricate-en-verb-CgA-xOHC Categories (other): Entries with translation boxes, Terms with Dutch translations, Terms with Finnish translations, Terms with French translations, Terms with Georgian translations, Terms with German translations, Terms with Hungarian translations, Terms with Kazakh translations, Terms with Mongolian translations, Terms with Portuguese translations, Terms with Russian translations Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 29 32 30 10 Disambiguation of Terms with Dutch translations: 24 34 29 13 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 24 31 29 17 Disambiguation of Terms with French translations: 23 34 29 13 Disambiguation of Terms with Georgian translations: 25 31 27 18 Disambiguation of Terms with German translations: 26 34 28 12 Disambiguation of Terms with Hungarian translations: 26 29 29 15 Disambiguation of Terms with Kazakh translations: 26 31 27 16 Disambiguation of Terms with Mongolian translations: 27 33 26 15 Disambiguation of Terms with Portuguese translations: 25 32 27 16 Disambiguation of Terms with Russian translations: 25 35 29 11 Disambiguation of 'deviate, transgress': 95 1 3 1
  2. (intransitive) To speak or act in a manner that is intentionally ambiguous or evasive; equivocate. Tags: intransitive Synonyms: equivocate, waffle, evasive Translations (shift or turn from direct speech or behaviour, to equivocate): 搪塞 (tángsè) (Chinese Mandarin), rond de pot draaien (Dutch), vältellä (Finnish), éluder (French), se dérober (French), être/rester évasif (French), მიკიბვ-მოკიბვა (miḳibv-moḳibva) (Georgian), ausweichen (German), Ausflüchte machen (German), köntörfalaz (Hungarian), kertel (Hungarian), essere evasivo (Italian), equivocare (Italian), бұлтақтау (būltaqtau) (Kazakh), tītahataha (Maori), булзах (bulzax) [Cyrillic] (Mongolian), ᠪᠤᠯᠵᠠᠬᠤ (bulǰaqu) [Mongolian] (Mongolian), уви́ливать (uvílivatʹ) (Russian)
    Sense id: en-prevaricate-en-verb-YHrEtqqY Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, Entries with translation boxes, Terms with Bulgarian translations, Terms with Dutch translations, Terms with Finnish translations, Terms with French translations, Terms with Georgian translations, Terms with German translations, Terms with Hungarian translations, Terms with Italian translations, Terms with Kazakh translations, Terms with Mandarin translations, Terms with Maori translations, Terms with Mongolian translations, Terms with Portuguese translations, Terms with Russian translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 19 47 20 14 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 29 32 30 10 Disambiguation of Terms with Bulgarian translations: 25 33 26 17 Disambiguation of Terms with Dutch translations: 24 34 29 13 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 24 31 29 17 Disambiguation of Terms with French translations: 23 34 29 13 Disambiguation of Terms with Georgian translations: 25 31 27 18 Disambiguation of Terms with German translations: 26 34 28 12 Disambiguation of Terms with Hungarian translations: 26 29 29 15 Disambiguation of Terms with Italian translations: 23 38 26 12 Disambiguation of Terms with Kazakh translations: 26 31 27 16 Disambiguation of Terms with Mandarin translations: 25 31 20 24 Disambiguation of Terms with Maori translations: 22 34 26 18 Disambiguation of Terms with Mongolian translations: 27 33 26 15 Disambiguation of Terms with Portuguese translations: 25 32 27 16 Disambiguation of Terms with Russian translations: 25 35 29 11 Disambiguation of 'shift or turn from direct speech or behaviour, to equivocate': 23 57 10 9
  3. (intransitive, law) To collude, as where an informer colludes with the defendant, and makes a sham prosecution. Tags: intransitive Categories (topical): Law Translations ((law) collude): prévariquer (French)
    Sense id: en-prevaricate-en-verb-95T4hALc Categories (other): Entries with translation boxes, Terms with Dutch translations, Terms with Finnish translations, Terms with French translations, Terms with Georgian translations, Terms with German translations, Terms with Hungarian translations, Terms with Kazakh translations, Terms with Mongolian translations, Terms with Portuguese translations, Terms with Russian translations Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 29 32 30 10 Disambiguation of Terms with Dutch translations: 24 34 29 13 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 24 31 29 17 Disambiguation of Terms with French translations: 23 34 29 13 Disambiguation of Terms with Georgian translations: 25 31 27 18 Disambiguation of Terms with German translations: 26 34 28 12 Disambiguation of Terms with Hungarian translations: 26 29 29 15 Disambiguation of Terms with Kazakh translations: 26 31 27 16 Disambiguation of Terms with Mongolian translations: 27 33 26 15 Disambiguation of Terms with Portuguese translations: 25 32 27 16 Disambiguation of Terms with Russian translations: 25 35 29 11 Topics: law Disambiguation of '(law) collude': 18 17 57 8
  4. (law, UK) To undertake something falsely and deceitfully, with the purpose of defeating or destroying it. Tags: UK Categories (topical): Law
    Sense id: en-prevaricate-en-verb-~AS8lN7A Categories (other): British English, Entries with translation boxes, Terms with Dutch translations, Terms with Finnish translations, Terms with French translations, Terms with Georgian translations, Terms with German translations, Terms with Hungarian translations, Terms with Kazakh translations, Terms with Mongolian translations, Terms with Portuguese translations, Terms with Russian translations Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 29 32 30 10 Disambiguation of Terms with Dutch translations: 24 34 29 13 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 24 31 29 17 Disambiguation of Terms with French translations: 23 34 29 13 Disambiguation of Terms with Georgian translations: 25 31 27 18 Disambiguation of Terms with German translations: 26 34 28 12 Disambiguation of Terms with Hungarian translations: 26 29 29 15 Disambiguation of Terms with Kazakh translations: 26 31 27 16 Disambiguation of Terms with Mongolian translations: 27 33 26 15 Disambiguation of Terms with Portuguese translations: 25 32 27 16 Disambiguation of Terms with Russian translations: 25 35 29 11 Topics: law
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms: beat about the bush, beat around the bush, equivocate, fabricate, fib, lie, tergiversate, prævaricate [archaic] Derived forms: prevaricatest, prevarication, prevaricator Related terms: lie

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

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  "derived": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "prevaricatest"
    },
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      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "prevarication"
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  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "praevaricor",
        "alt": "praevāricārī",
        "t": "to walk crookedly; to play a false or double part"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin praevāricārī (“to walk crookedly; to play a false or double part”)",
      "name": "der"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From the participle stem of Latin praevāricārī (“to walk crookedly; to play a false or double part”), from prae- + vāricāre (“to stand with feet apart, straddle”), from vāricus (“with feet spread apart”).",
  "forms": [
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      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
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    },
    {
      "form": "prevaricating",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
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    {
      "form": "prevaricated",
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        "participle",
        "past"
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    {
      "form": "prevaricated",
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        "past"
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  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "prevaricate (third-person singular simple present prevaricates, present participle prevaricating, simple past and past participle prevaricated)",
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  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "related": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "lie"
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      "glosses": [
        "To deviate, transgress; to go astray (from)."
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      "links": [
        [
          "deviate",
          "deviate"
        ],
        [
          "transgress",
          "transgress"
        ],
        [
          "astray",
          "astray"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive, intransitive, obsolete) To deviate, transgress; to go astray (from)."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive",
        "obsolete",
        "transitive"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "95 1 3 1",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "izvǎrtam",
          "sense": "deviate, transgress",
          "word": "извъртам"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "95 1 3 1",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "deviate, transgress",
          "word": "afwijken"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "95 1 3 1",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "deviate, transgress",
          "word": "terugkrabbelen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "95 1 3 1",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "deviate, transgress",
          "word": "prévariquer"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "95 1 3 1",
          "code": "mi",
          "lang": "Maori",
          "sense": "deviate, transgress",
          "word": "tītahataha"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "95 1 3 1",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "deviate, transgress",
          "word": "prevaricar"
        }
      ]
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      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "The people saw the politician prevaricate every day.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To speak or act in a manner that is intentionally ambiguous or evasive; equivocate."
      ],
      "id": "en-prevaricate-en-verb-YHrEtqqY",
      "links": [
        [
          "ambiguous",
          "ambiguous"
        ],
        [
          "evasive",
          "evasive"
        ],
        [
          "equivocate",
          "equivocate"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive) To speak or act in a manner that is intentionally ambiguous or evasive; equivocate."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "equivocate"
        },
        {
          "word": "waffle"
        },
        {
          "word": "evasive"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "23 57 10 9",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "tángsè",
          "sense": "shift or turn from direct speech or behaviour, to equivocate",
          "word": "搪塞"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "23 57 10 9",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "shift or turn from direct speech or behaviour, to equivocate",
          "word": "rond de pot draaien"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "23 57 10 9",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "shift or turn from direct speech or behaviour, to equivocate",
          "word": "vältellä"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "23 57 10 9",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "shift or turn from direct speech or behaviour, to equivocate",
          "word": "éluder"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "23 57 10 9",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "shift or turn from direct speech or behaviour, to equivocate",
          "word": "se dérober"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "23 57 10 9",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "shift or turn from direct speech or behaviour, to equivocate",
          "word": "être/rester évasif"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "23 57 10 9",
          "code": "ka",
          "lang": "Georgian",
          "roman": "miḳibv-moḳibva",
          "sense": "shift or turn from direct speech or behaviour, to equivocate",
          "word": "მიკიბვ-მოკიბვა"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "23 57 10 9",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "shift or turn from direct speech or behaviour, to equivocate",
          "word": "ausweichen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "23 57 10 9",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "shift or turn from direct speech or behaviour, to equivocate",
          "word": "Ausflüchte machen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "23 57 10 9",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "shift or turn from direct speech or behaviour, to equivocate",
          "word": "köntörfalaz"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "23 57 10 9",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "shift or turn from direct speech or behaviour, to equivocate",
          "word": "kertel"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "23 57 10 9",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "shift or turn from direct speech or behaviour, to equivocate",
          "word": "essere evasivo"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "23 57 10 9",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "shift or turn from direct speech or behaviour, to equivocate",
          "word": "equivocare"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "23 57 10 9",
          "code": "kk",
          "lang": "Kazakh",
          "roman": "būltaqtau",
          "sense": "shift or turn from direct speech or behaviour, to equivocate",
          "word": "бұлтақтау"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "23 57 10 9",
          "code": "mi",
          "lang": "Maori",
          "sense": "shift or turn from direct speech or behaviour, to equivocate",
          "word": "tītahataha"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "23 57 10 9",
          "code": "mn",
          "lang": "Mongolian",
          "roman": "bulzax",
          "sense": "shift or turn from direct speech or behaviour, to equivocate",
          "tags": [
            "Cyrillic"
          ],
          "word": "булзах"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "23 57 10 9",
          "code": "mn",
          "lang": "Mongolian",
          "roman": "bulǰaqu",
          "sense": "shift or turn from direct speech or behaviour, to equivocate",
          "tags": [
            "Mongolian"
          ],
          "word": "ᠪᠤᠯᠵᠠᠬᠤ"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "23 57 10 9",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "uvílivatʹ",
          "sense": "shift or turn from direct speech or behaviour, to equivocate",
          "word": "уви́ливать"
        }
      ]
    },
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      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To collude, as where an informer colludes with the defendant, and makes a sham prosecution."
      ],
      "id": "en-prevaricate-en-verb-95T4hALc",
      "links": [
        [
          "law",
          "law#English"
        ],
        [
          "collude",
          "collude"
        ],
        [
          "informer",
          "informer"
        ],
        [
          "defendant",
          "defendant"
        ],
        [
          "sham",
          "sham"
        ],
        [
          "prosecution",
          "prosecution"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive, law) To collude, as where an informer colludes with the defendant, and makes a sham prosecution."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "law"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "18 17 57 8",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "(law) collude",
          "word": "prévariquer"
        }
      ]
    },
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          "name": "Terms with Dutch translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "24 31 29 17",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Finnish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "23 34 29 13",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with French translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "25 31 27 18",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Georgian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "26 34 28 12",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with German translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "26 29 29 15",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Hungarian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "26 31 27 16",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Kazakh translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "27 33 26 15",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Mongolian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "25 32 27 16",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Portuguese translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "25 35 29 11",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Russian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To undertake something falsely and deceitfully, with the purpose of defeating or destroying it."
      ],
      "id": "en-prevaricate-en-verb-~AS8lN7A",
      "links": [
        [
          "law",
          "law#English"
        ],
        [
          "undertake",
          "undertake"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(law, UK) To undertake something falsely and deceitfully, with the purpose of defeating or destroying it."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "law"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/pɹɪˈvaɹɪkeɪt/",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/pɹɪˈvæɹɪkeɪt/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/pɹɪˈvɛɹɪkeɪt/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-us-prevaricate.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/b/b6/En-us-prevaricate.ogg/En-us-prevaricate.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b6/En-us-prevaricate.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "beat about the bush"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "beat around the bush"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "equivocate"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "fabricate"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "fib"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "lie"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "tergiversate"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "tags": [
        "archaic"
      ],
      "word": "prævaricate"
    }
  ],
  "word": "prevaricate"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English terms derived from Latin",
    "English verbs",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 3 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Terms with Bulgarian translations",
    "Terms with Dutch translations",
    "Terms with Finnish translations",
    "Terms with French translations",
    "Terms with Georgian translations",
    "Terms with German translations",
    "Terms with Hungarian translations",
    "Terms with Italian translations",
    "Terms with Kazakh translations",
    "Terms with Mandarin translations",
    "Terms with Maori translations",
    "Terms with Mongolian translations",
    "Terms with Portuguese translations",
    "Terms with Russian translations"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "prevaricatest"
    },
    {
      "word": "prevarication"
    },
    {
      "word": "prevaricator"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "praevaricor",
        "alt": "praevāricārī",
        "t": "to walk crookedly; to play a false or double part"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin praevāricārī (“to walk crookedly; to play a false or double part”)",
      "name": "der"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From the participle stem of Latin praevāricārī (“to walk crookedly; to play a false or double part”), from prae- + vāricāre (“to stand with feet apart, straddle”), from vāricus (“with feet spread apart”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "prevaricates",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "prevaricating",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "prevaricated",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "prevaricated",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "prevaricate (third-person singular simple present prevaricates, present participle prevaricating, simple past and past participle prevaricated)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "lie"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English intransitive verbs",
        "English terms with obsolete senses",
        "English transitive verbs"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To deviate, transgress; to go astray (from)."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "deviate",
          "deviate"
        ],
        [
          "transgress",
          "transgress"
        ],
        [
          "astray",
          "astray"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive, intransitive, obsolete) To deviate, transgress; to go astray (from)."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive",
        "obsolete",
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "antonyms": [
        {
          "word": "direct"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        "English intransitive verbs",
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "The people saw the politician prevaricate every day.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To speak or act in a manner that is intentionally ambiguous or evasive; equivocate."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "ambiguous",
          "ambiguous"
        ],
        [
          "evasive",
          "evasive"
        ],
        [
          "equivocate",
          "equivocate"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive) To speak or act in a manner that is intentionally ambiguous or evasive; equivocate."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "equivocate"
        },
        {
          "word": "waffle"
        },
        {
          "word": "evasive"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English intransitive verbs",
        "en:Law"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To collude, as where an informer colludes with the defendant, and makes a sham prosecution."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "law",
          "law#English"
        ],
        [
          "collude",
          "collude"
        ],
        [
          "informer",
          "informer"
        ],
        [
          "defendant",
          "defendant"
        ],
        [
          "sham",
          "sham"
        ],
        [
          "prosecution",
          "prosecution"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive, law) To collude, as where an informer colludes with the defendant, and makes a sham prosecution."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "law"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "British English",
        "en:Law"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To undertake something falsely and deceitfully, with the purpose of defeating or destroying it."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "law",
          "law#English"
        ],
        [
          "undertake",
          "undertake"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(law, UK) To undertake something falsely and deceitfully, with the purpose of defeating or destroying it."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "law"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/pɹɪˈvaɹɪkeɪt/",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/pɹɪˈvæɹɪkeɪt/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/pɹɪˈvɛɹɪkeɪt/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-us-prevaricate.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/b/b6/En-us-prevaricate.ogg/En-us-prevaricate.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b6/En-us-prevaricate.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "beat about the bush"
    },
    {
      "word": "beat around the bush"
    },
    {
      "word": "equivocate"
    },
    {
      "word": "fabricate"
    },
    {
      "word": "fib"
    },
    {
      "word": "lie"
    },
    {
      "word": "tergiversate"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "archaic"
      ],
      "word": "prævaricate"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "izvǎrtam",
      "sense": "deviate, transgress",
      "word": "извъртам"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "deviate, transgress",
      "word": "afwijken"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "deviate, transgress",
      "word": "terugkrabbelen"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "deviate, transgress",
      "word": "prévariquer"
    },
    {
      "code": "mi",
      "lang": "Maori",
      "sense": "deviate, transgress",
      "word": "tītahataha"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "deviate, transgress",
      "word": "prevaricar"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "tángsè",
      "sense": "shift or turn from direct speech or behaviour, to equivocate",
      "word": "搪塞"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "shift or turn from direct speech or behaviour, to equivocate",
      "word": "rond de pot draaien"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "shift or turn from direct speech or behaviour, to equivocate",
      "word": "vältellä"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "shift or turn from direct speech or behaviour, to equivocate",
      "word": "éluder"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "shift or turn from direct speech or behaviour, to equivocate",
      "word": "se dérober"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "shift or turn from direct speech or behaviour, to equivocate",
      "word": "être/rester évasif"
    },
    {
      "code": "ka",
      "lang": "Georgian",
      "roman": "miḳibv-moḳibva",
      "sense": "shift or turn from direct speech or behaviour, to equivocate",
      "word": "მიკიბვ-მოკიბვა"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "shift or turn from direct speech or behaviour, to equivocate",
      "word": "ausweichen"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "shift or turn from direct speech or behaviour, to equivocate",
      "word": "Ausflüchte machen"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "shift or turn from direct speech or behaviour, to equivocate",
      "word": "köntörfalaz"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "shift or turn from direct speech or behaviour, to equivocate",
      "word": "kertel"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "shift or turn from direct speech or behaviour, to equivocate",
      "word": "essere evasivo"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "shift or turn from direct speech or behaviour, to equivocate",
      "word": "equivocare"
    },
    {
      "code": "kk",
      "lang": "Kazakh",
      "roman": "būltaqtau",
      "sense": "shift or turn from direct speech or behaviour, to equivocate",
      "word": "бұлтақтау"
    },
    {
      "code": "mi",
      "lang": "Maori",
      "sense": "shift or turn from direct speech or behaviour, to equivocate",
      "word": "tītahataha"
    },
    {
      "code": "mn",
      "lang": "Mongolian",
      "roman": "bulzax",
      "sense": "shift or turn from direct speech or behaviour, to equivocate",
      "tags": [
        "Cyrillic"
      ],
      "word": "булзах"
    },
    {
      "code": "mn",
      "lang": "Mongolian",
      "roman": "bulǰaqu",
      "sense": "shift or turn from direct speech or behaviour, to equivocate",
      "tags": [
        "Mongolian"
      ],
      "word": "ᠪᠤᠯᠵᠠᠬᠤ"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "uvílivatʹ",
      "sense": "shift or turn from direct speech or behaviour, to equivocate",
      "word": "уви́ливать"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "(law) collude",
      "word": "prévariquer"
    }
  ],
  "word": "prevaricate"
}

Download raw JSONL data for prevaricate meaning in English (7.6kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-11-06 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-10-02 using wiktextract (fbeafe8 and 7f03c9b). 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.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.