Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
Definition: Equivocation |
EquivocationNoun1. A statement that is not literally false but that cleverly avoids an unpleasant truth. 2. Intentionally vague or ambiguous. 3. Deliberate vagueness or ambiguity. 4. Falsification by means of vague or ambiguous language. Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
Date "equivocation" was first used: sometime in the late 14th century. (references) |
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
For example, "A feather is light. What is light cannot be dark. So a feather can not be dark," commits this fallacy: The word light is used in the sense of having little weight the first time, but of having a bright colour the second time.
The fallacy of equivocation is often used with words that have a strong emotional content and many meanings. These meanings often coincide within proper context, but the fallacious arguer does a semantic shift, slowly changing the context as he goes in such a way to achieve equivocation by equating distinct meanings of the word.
Equivocation is closely linked with the fallacy of amphiboly, where amphiboly relies on a syntantic shift.
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Equivocation."
Synonyms: EquivocationSynonyms: evasion (n), evasiveness (n), prevarication (n), tergiversation (n). (additional references) |
| Context | Synonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus). |
Equivocalness | Equivocation; (duplicity); white lie, mental reservation; (concealment); paltering. |
Falsehood | Perversion of truth, suppression of truth; suppressio veri; perversion, distortion, false coloring; exaggeration; prevarication, equivocation, shuffling, fencing, evasion, fraud; suggestio falsi; (lie); mystification; (concealment); simulation; (imitation); dissimulation, dissembling; deceit; blague. |
Reasoning, | Sophistry, paralogy, perversion, casuistry, jesuitry, equivocation, evasion; chicane, chicanery; quiddet, quiddity; mystification; special pleading; speciousness; Adjective: nonsense; word sense, tongue sense. |
Veracity | Adverb: truly; (really); in plain words; in truth, with truth, of a truth, in good truth; as the dial to the sun, as the needle to the pole; honor bright; troth; in good sooth, in good earnest; unfeignedly, with no nonsense, in sooth, sooth to say, bona fide, in foro conscientiae; without equivocation; cartes sur table, from the bottom of one's heart; by my troth; (affirmation). |
| Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus. | |
Crosswords: Equivocation |
| English words defined with "equivocation": Amphilogy ♦ Equivocal chord, Equivocatory, Equivoke ♦ Quiddit. (references) |
| Title | Author | Quote |
Emma | Austen, Jane | The disguise, equivocation, mystery, so hateful to her to practise, might soon be over |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| "Equivocation" is generally used as a noun (singular) -- approximately 100.00% of the time. "Equivocation" is used about 28 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted) |
| Parts of Speech | Percent | Usage per 100 Million Words | Rank in English |
| Noun (singular) | 100% | 28 | 65,706 |
Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.
| The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com. |
| Expression | Frequency per Day |
equivocation | 9 |
equivocation fallacy | 4 |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Language | Translations for "equivocation"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | |
Albanian | të folur me dy kuptime, shprehje e dykuptueshme. (various references) | |
Arabic | مواربة (devious, prevarication, quibble, tergiversation), مراوغة (deviousness, dodge, elusion, evasion, evasiveness, prevarication, quibble, shiftiness, slyness, trickery), غموض (ambiguity, darkness, fuzziness, haziness, mystery, mystification, nebulizer, obscurity, opacity, secret, vagueness, weirdness), التباس (ambiguity, confusion). (various references) | |
Bulgarian | извъртане (chicane, dodge, dodgery, evasion, indirection, jugglery, legerdemain, quibble, salvo, shuffle, taradiddle, tergiversation, torsion, twist), двусмислица (ambiguity, amphibology, double entendre, equivoke, equivoque). (various references) | |
Chinese | 多义名词. (various references) | |
Czech | dvojsmyslnost (equivoke, equivoque). (various references) | |
Dutch | equivocatie. (various references) | |
French | équivoque (equivocal). (various references) | |
German | Mehrdeutigkeit (ambiguity, equivocalness). (various references) | |
Greek | αμφιλογία (double talk). (various references) | |
Hungarian | mellébeszélés (circumlocution, crap), kétértelmû beszéd. (various references) | |
Italian | equivoco (ambiguity, ambiguous, dubious, equivocal, equivocalness, fishy, misapprehension, misunderstanding, shady, shifty, underhand). (various references) | |
Japanese Kanji | 二枚舌 (double-dealing, duplicity), 二枚舌 (double-dealing, double-tongued, duplicity). (various references) | |
Japanese Katakana | にまいじた (double-dealing, double-tongued, duplicity). (various references) | |
Manx | daa-cheayllaghey, breageraght (lying). (various references) | |
Pig Latin | equivocationay.(various references) | |
Portuguese | equivocação, equívoco (equivocal, fishy, misapprehension, miscomprehension, misconception, misjudgement, mistake, misunderstanding, oversight, questionable, quibble, quirk, slip-up, suspicious), ambiguidade (ambages, ambiguity, amphibology). (various references) | |
Romanian | echivoc (ambiguity, ambiguous, doubt, equivocal, equivoque, multivocal, quibble, shady, suspicious), ambiguitate (ambiguity, ambiguousness, amphibology, fishiness). (various references) | |
Russian | уклончивый ответ, увиливание (prevarication), неопределенность (generality, incertitude, indeterminacy, indetermination, laxity, limbo, overidentification, pendency, suspense, uncertainty, vagueness). (various references) | |
Serbo-Croatian | vrdanje (dodgery, double dealing, jink, subterfuge, tergiversation, wriggle), okolišanje (circumlocution, obliquity, pussyfoot, runabout). (various references) | |
Spanish | equivocación (aberration, blunder, error, inadvertence, inadvertency, lapse, lapsus, misapprehension, misconception, mistake, misunderstanding, oversight), equívoco (ambiguity, ambiguous, double entendre, equivocal, mistake, mistaken, non committal, pun, quibble, vague). (various references) | |
Swedish | tvetydigt uttryckssätt, dubbeltydighet. (various references) | |
Turkish | kelime oyunu (crank, pun, quibble, wordplay), kaçamaklı söz (quip, tergiversation), belirsiz konuşma. (various references) | |
Ukrainian | ухилення (avoidance), двозначність (ambiguity, amphibology, amphiboly, double meaning, oracularity). (various references) | |
Vietnamese | sự nói nước đôi lời nói lập lờ, sự nói lập lờ, lời nói nước đôi (equivoke, equivoque), lời nói hai nghĩa. (various references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references. | ||
Derivations | |
Words beginning with "equivocation": equivocations. (additional references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |
| # of Phoneme Matches | Pronunciation | Word(s) rhyming with "equivocation" (pronounced ikwivukā"shun) |
| 7 | -v u k ā" sh u n | advocation, avocation, convocation, invocation, provocation, revocation. |
| 6 | -u k ā" sh u n | falsification, acidification, adjudication, allocation, amplification, application, authentication, certification, classification, codification, communication, complication, decertification, dedication, deification, desiccation, disqualification, diversification, domestication, duplication, edification, education, eradication, excommunication, explication, fortification, gasification, gratification, identification, implication, indication, intensification, intoxication, magnification, medication, misallocation, misapplication, miscommunication, modification, multiplication, notification, nullification, ossification, pacification, personification, pontification, prefabrication, prognostication, purification, qualification, quantification, ramification, ratification, reallocation, recertification, reclassification, rectification, rededication, replication, reunification, sanctification, saponification, suffocation, unification, verification, vilification, vindication. |
| 5 | -k ā" sh u n | abdication, altercation, bifurcation, clarification, confiscation, demarcation, detoxication, detoxification, disembarkation, dislocation, echolocation, electrification, embarkation, evocation, fabrication, gentrification, glorification, indemnification, justification, location, lubrication, misidentification, mummification, obfuscation, publication, relocation, simplification, sophistication, specification, syndication, telecommunication, vacation, vocation. |
| 4 | -ā" sh u n | facilitation, fascination, federation, fermentation, fertilization, fibrillation, figuration, filtration, abrogation, acceleration, acclimation, accommodation, abbreviation, aberration, abomination, accreditation, accumulation, accusation, activation, adaptation, administration, admiration, adoration, adulation, affectation, affiliation, affirmation, agglomeration, aggravation, agitation, alienation, allegation, alleviation, alphabetization, alteration, amalgamation, amelioration, amortization, amputation, animation, annexation, annihilation, annotation, anticipation, antidiscrimination, appellation, appreciation, approbation, appropriation, approximation, arbitration, argumentation, articulation, aspiration, assassination, assimilation, association, augmentation, authorization, automation, aviation, balkanization, calculation, calibration, cancellation, cannibalization, capitalization, capitulation, carnation, castration, categorization, causation, celebration, centralization, cessation, cetacean, characterization, citation, civilization, coagulation, cogeneration, cogitation, cohabitation, collaboration, collectivization, colonization, coloration, colorization, combination, commemoration, commendation, commercialization, communization, compensation, compilation, computation, computerization, concatenation, concentration, conciliation, condemnation, condensation, confabulation, confederation, configuration, confirmation, conflagration, confrontation, conglomeration, congratulation, congregation, conjugation, connotation, consecration, conservation, consideration, consolation, consolidation, constellation, consternation, constipation, consultation, consummation, contamination, contemplation, continuation, conversation, cooperation, coordination, coronation, corporation, correlation, corroboration, creation, cremation, criminalization, crustacean, culmination, cultivation, dalmatian, damnation, decaffeination, decapitation, deceleration, decentralization, declaration, decontamination, decoration, decriminalization, defamation, deflation, deforestation, deformation, degeneration, degradation, dehumanization, dehydration, deinstitutionalization, delegation, deliberation, delineation, demilitarization, demobilization, democratization, demodulation, demonization, demonstration, demoralization, denationalization, denomination, denuclearization, denunciation, depopulation, deportation, depravation, depreciation, depredation, deprivation, deregulation, derivation, desalination, desalinization, desecration, desegregation, designation, desolation, desperation, destabilization, destination, determination, detonation, devaluation, devastation, deviation, dictation, differentiation, dilatation, dilation, discoloration, discontinuation, discrimination, disinclination, disinflation, disinformation, disintegration, disorganization, disorientation, dispensation, disputation, dissemination, dissertation, dissipation, dissociation, distillation, divination, documentation, domination, donation, dramatization, duration, ejaculation, elaboration, elation, elevation, elimination, elongation, emanation, emancipation, emigration, emulation, enumeration, equalization, equitation, escalation, estimation, evacuation, evaluation, evaporation, exacerbation, exaggeration, examination, exasperation, excavation, excitation, exclamation, exfoliation, exhalation, exhilaration, exhortation, exhumation, exoneration, expatriation, expectation, experimentation, expiration, explanation, exploitation, exploration, expropriation, extermination, extrapolation, fixation, flirtation, flotation, fluctuation, fluoridation, foliation, formation, formulation, foundation, fragmentation, frustration, fumigation, gastrulation, generalization, generation, germination, gestation, glaciation, globalization, gradation, graduation, granulation, gravitation, gyration, habitation, hallucination, harmonization, hesitation, hibernation, hospitalization, humiliation, hybridization, hydration, hydrogenation, hyperinflation, illumination, illustration, imagination, imitation, immigration, immunization, impersonation, implantation, implementation, importation, impregnation, improvisation, imputation, inactivation, inauguration, incantation, incapacitation, incarceration, incarnation, inclination, incoordination, incorporation, incrimination, incrustation, incubation, indentation, indexation, indignation, indoctrination, industrialization, infatuation, infestation, infiltration, inflammation, inflation, information, inhabitation, inhalation, initiation, innovation, inoculation, insemination, insinuation, inspiration, installation, instigation, institutionalization, instrumentation, insubordination, insulation, integration, internationalization, interpretation, interrogation, intimation, intimidation, intonation, inundation, invalidation, investigation, invitation, ionization, irradiation, irrigation, irritation, isolation, jubilation, laceration, lactation, legalization, legislation, levitation, liberalization, liberation, libration, ligation, limitation, liquidation, litigation, localization, machination, magnetization, malformation, manifestation, manipulation, marginalization, masturbation, maturation, maximization, mechanization, mediation, meditation, menstruation, migration, mineralization, miniaturization, ministration, misappropriation, miscalculation, mischaracterization, miscreation, misinformation, misinterpretation, misrepresentation, mitigation, mobilization, moderation, modernization, modulation, molestation, monopolization, motivation, mutation, mutilation, narration, nation, nationalization, naturalization, navigation, negation, negotiation, neutralization, nitration, nomination, nondiscrimination, nonproliferation, normalization, notation, nucleation, obligation, observation, occupation, operation, optimization, oration, orchestration, ordination, organisation, organization, orientation, origination, ornamentation, oscillation, ostentation, ovation, overpopulation, overregulation, overvaluation, ovulation, oxidation, pagination, palpitation, participation, pasteurization, penetration, perforation, permutation, perpetuation, personalization, perspiration, perturbation, pigmentation, plantation, polarization, politicization, pollination, popularization, population, precipitation, predestination, premeditation, preoccupation, preparation, presentation, preservation, pressurization, privation, privatization, probation, proclamation, procrastination, procreation, profanation, proliferation, pronunciation, propagation, proration, prostration, protestation, punctuation, quotation, radiation, radicalization, rationalization, reaffirmation, realization, reauthorization, recalculation, recantation, recapitalization, recitation, reclamation, recommendation, reconciliation, reconfiguration, reconfirmation, reconsideration, recreation, recrimination, recuperation, redecoration, reevaluation, reexamination, reflation, reforestation, reformation, refrigeration, refutation, regeneration, regimentation, registration, regulation, rehabilitation, rehydration, reincarnation, reincorporation, reinterpretation, reinvigoration, reiteration, rejuvenation, relation, relaxation, remediation, remuneration, renationalization, renegotiation, renomination, renovation, renunciation, reorganization, reparation, repatriation, representation, repudiation, reputation, reregulation, reservation, resignation, respiration, restoration, resuscitation, retaliation, retardation, revaluation, revelation, reverberation, revitalization, rotation, rumination, salvation, sanitation, saturation, securitization, sedation, sedimentation, segmentation, segregation, sensation, separation, sequestration, simulation, situation, socialization, solicitation, specialization, speculation, stabilization, stagflation, stagnation, standardization, starvation, station, sterilization, stimulation, stipulation, strangulation, subluxation, subordination, subsidization, substantiation, suburbanization, summation, superstation, tabulation, taxation, temptation, termination, titillation, toleration, transformation, transillumination, translation, transplantation, transportation, trepidation, triangulation, tribulation, undervaluation, unionization, urbanization, usurpation, utilization, vaccination, vacillation, validation, valuation, vaporization, variation, vegetation, ventilation, vibration, victimization, violation, visitation, visualization, vulgarization, westernization. |
| 3 | -sh u n | faction, fashion, fiction, fission, absolution, absorption, abstraction, academician, accession, abduction, abolition, abortion, accretion, acquisition, action, addiction, addition, admission, admonition, adoption, advection, affection, affliction, aggression, alliteration, alternation, ambition, ammunition, antiabortion, anticorruption, apparition, apportion, apprehension, ascension, ashen, assertion, assumption, attention, attraction, attribution, attrition, auction, audition, beautician, benediction, brutalization, caption, carburetion, caution, circulation, circumspection, clinician, coalition, coercion, cognition, collection, commission, commotion, compassion, competition, completion, complexion, composition, comprehension, compression, compulsion, compunction, conception, conceptualization, concession, concoction, concussion, condescension, condition, conduction, confection, confession, conjunction, connection, conniption, conscription, constitution, constriction, construction, consumption, contention, contortion, contraception, contraction, contradiction, contraption, contribution, contrition, convection, convention, conviction, convolution, convulsion, correction, corruption, counterrevolution, crucifixion, cushion, deception, decimation, decommission, decomposition, decompression, deconstruction, deduction, defection, definition, deletion, demolition, demotion, dentition, depiction, depletion, deposition, depression, dereliction, description, desertion, destitution, destruction, detection, detention, deterioration, devolution, devotion, diction, dietitian, diffraction, digression, dilution, dimension, diminution, direction, disaffection, disconnection, discretion, discussion, disinfection, disposition, disruption, dissatisfaction, dissection, dissension, dissolution, distinction, distortion, distraction, distribution, dysfunction, edition, egyptian, ejection, election, electrician, electrocution, elocution, emission, emotion, emulsion, encryption, erection, erudition, eruption, eviction, evolution, exaction, exception, excoriation, excretion, execution, exemption, exertion, exhibition, expansion, expedition, exposition, expression, expulsion, extension, extinction, extortion, extraction, extradition, flexion, formalization, fraction, freshen, friction, fruition, function, gentian, geriatrician, gumption, hessian, homogenization, hypertension, hypotension, ignition, impassion, imperfection, imposition, impression, inaction, inception, incineration, indiscretion, induction, infarction, infection, inflection, infliction, infraction, inhibition, injection, injunction, inquisition, inscription, insertion, inspection, institution, instruction, insurrection, interaction, interception, intercession, interconnection, interdiction, interjection, intermission, interruption, intersection, introduction, introspection, intuition, invention, junction, jurisdiction, juxtaposition, lilliputian, liposuction, liquefaction, locomotion, logician, lotion, magician, malfunction, malnutrition, mansion, martian, mathematician, mention, midsection, misapprehension, misconception, misimpression, misperception, mission, mortician, motion, munition, musician, nonaggression, nonfiction, nonprescription, notion, nutrition, objection, obsession, obstetrician, obstruction, ocean, omission, opposition, oppression, optician, option, overconsumption, overexpansion, overproduction, overprotection, overreaction, oversimplification, partition, passion, patrician, pediatrician, pension, perception, percussion, perfection, permission, persecution, petition, physician, politician, pollution, portion, position, possession, potion, precaution, precession, preconception, precondition, prediction, predilection, predisposition, preelection, preemption, preignition, premonition, prescription, presumption, presupposition, pretension, prevention, procession, production, profession, progression, prohibition, projection, promotion, proportion, proposition, propulsion, proscription, prosecution, prostitution, protection, ration, reaction, reassertion, reception, recession, recognition, recollection, recondition, reconstruction, redefinition, redemption, redirection, redistribution, reduction, reeducation, reelection, reflection, regression, reimposition, reinspection, reintegration, reintroduction, reinvention, rejection, remission, rendition, repercussion, repetition, reposition, repossession, repression, reproduction, requisition, resolution, restitution, restriction, resumption, resurrection, retention, retraction, retransmission, retribution, revolution, revulsion, rhetorician, sanction, satisfaction, secession, secretion, section, sedition, seduction, selection, session, solution, statistician, submission, subscription, subsection, substation, substitution, subtraction, succession, suction, superstition, supposition, suppression, suspension, suspicion, syncopation, tactician, technician, tension, theoretician, titian, traction, tradition, transaction, transcription, transection, transgression, transition, transmission, tuition, venetian, volition, workstation. |
Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits. | ||
Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams | |
| Words within the letters "a-c-e-i-i-n-o-o-q-t-u-v" | |
-3 letters: evocation. | |
-4 letters: conative, cotquean, equation, eviction, inactive, invocate, outvoice, vocation. | |
-5 letters: aconite, antique, auction, avionic, caution, centavo, coition, coontie, coquina, coquito, inquiet, invoice, ovation, quantic, quinate, quintic, tunicae, unitive, unvoice, uveitic, vauntie, venatic. | |
| Words containing the letters "a-c-e-i-i-n-o-o-q-t-u-v" | |
+1 letter: equivocations. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro. | |
| 1. Definition 2. Synonyms 3. Crosswords 4. Quotations: Fiction | 5. Usage Frequency 6. Expressions: Internet 7. Translations: Modern 8. Derivations | 9. Rhymes 10. Anagrams 11. Bibliography |
Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
