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It means to make a statement that does not provide the necessary information, often deliberately (such as when required to make an unwanted choice).

To equivocate implies deception or the avoidance of a specific commitment through the vague or ambiguous use of language. For instance, to avoid giving a definitive answer the historic Oracle of Delphi once prophesied to a king that if he went to war that day he could be assured that a great nation would be destroyed. The king desiring an answer to his question as to whether he would be victorious assumed the nation being destroyed would be that of his enemy. If he won he would credit the Oracle with prophetic powers, but if he lost and was conquered, the Oracle could claim that he had been warned. Which nation would be destroyed was not specified because the answer was an equivocation.

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Related Questions

What is a sentence using the word equivocate?

Please don't equivocate, tell me what you really think.


What is the meaning of palter?

To talk or act insincerely or misleadingly, to equivocate.


What is a synonym for evade?

to avoid, to dodge, to escape, to elude, to shirk, to equivocate, to prevaricate


What word means to speak evasively?

The word that means to speak evasively is "equivocate."


How do you use the word equivocal in a sentence?

The word "equivocate" is a verb meaning to avoid making a clear statement by saying something that has more than one possible meaning; to use ambiguous language so as to conceal the truth; a word for an action.Examples:"The politician was known to equivocate if asked about gay marriage.""I didn't like her new hairdo, but it was better to equivocate.""Please don't equivocate, tell me what you really think."


What could be a participle form for equivocate?

The past participle is equivocated. The present participle is equivocating.


What literary device seems contradictory but actually presents the truth?

Equivocate is making a statement that circumvents an outright statement of the truth.


What is the function of equivocate?

To equivocate means to use ambiguous language intentionally to conceal the truth or avoid committing to a specific stance. This tactic often aims to mislead or create confusion, allowing the speaker to navigate sensitive topics without taking a clear position. It can be employed in various contexts, including politics, business, and personal conversations, to evade accountability or to manipulate perceptions.


How many horse power is 547cc?

Displacement doesn't directly equivocate to horsepower.


What is the synonym for fudge?

Synonyms of the word fudge: fake, misrepresent avoid, embellish, embroider, equivocate, evade, exaggerate, falsify, hedge, magnify, overstate, patch, shuffle, slant, stall


What did William Lloyd Garrison do to fight slavery?

William Lloyd Garrison fought against slavery by creating an antislavery newspaper. Also he quoted "I do not wish to speak, or write with moderation... I am earnest. I will not equivocate, I will not excuse, I will not retreat a single inch and I WILL BE HEARD."


Is waffles a verb?

It can be, as a form of the verb "to waffle" meaning to waver, vacillate, or equivocate on a position.E.g The candidate waffles on the subject of illegal immigration.(* in British usage, it is more synonymous with blathering or circumlocution)Otherwise, waffles is a plural noun for a breakfast food.