Equivocate
/ɪˈkwɪvəkeɪt/noun
To use ambiguous or deliberately unclear language, especially to avoid making a direct statement.
Did you know?In medieval logic, equivocation was treated as a major fallacy: one word could shift meanings mid-argument while appearing to remain the same.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*wekʷ-
“To speak or utter words”
Classical Latin
Latin
aequus
“Equal, even, or level”
Classical Latin
Latin
vōx
“Voice or spoken sound”
Late Latin
Latin
aequivocus
“Having an equal or double voice; ambiguous”
Medieval Latin
Latin
aequivocāre
“To use a word in different senses or speak ambiguously”
Late Middle English
English
equivocaten
“To use ambiguous language or evade a direct answer”
Modern English
English
equivocate
“To speak unclearly or avoid committing oneself”