Word of the day · 15 July 2026
ambiguous
/æmˈbɪɡjuəs/
adjective
Open to more than one interpretation; unclear or uncertain in meaning.
In a sentence
- The contract’s wording on overtime was deliberately ambiguous.
- Her smile was ambiguous; nobody knew if she approved.
- The test result was ambiguous and needed a second sample.
In an image
Origin
From Latin ambiguus (doubtful, shifting), from ambigere (to wander, go about), from ambi- (both ways) and agere (to drive).
History
Ambiguous entered English for statements and omens that refuse a single reading. Scientists later applied it to data that fit more than one model. The word is stronger than vague: something ambiguous offers competing senses, not only thin detail. That is why lawyers, teachers and headline writers still fight over it.
Nearby words
equivocal · unclear · vague
When language, signals or outcomes can honestly be read two ways.