equivocal

8 synonyms and 6 antonyms for equivocal, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Adjective — Open to more than one interpretation, often deliberately so, and therefore hard to pin down.

Synonyms

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

ambiguous vague borderline

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

evasive noncommittal cryptic inconclusive indeterminate

Synonyms by Meaning

1. adjective

Open to more than one interpretation, often deliberately so, and therefore hard to pin down.

“He gave an equivocal answer that committed him to nothing.”

ambiguous vague evasive noncommittal cryptic

Opposites

unequivocal clear-cut explicit definite

2. adjective

Of evidence or results: inconclusive, pointing in no clear direction.

“The blood test came back equivocal, so it was repeated a week later.”

inconclusive indeterminate borderline

Opposites

conclusive definitive

How to use equivocal

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

equivocal answer equivocal result equivocal evidence equivocal terms

Formal in everyday use; a precise technical term in laboratory reporting.

Etymology

From Late Latin aequivocus 'of equal voice, ambiguous', from aequus 'equal' and vocare 'to call'.

Full origin of equivocal →

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between equivocal and ambiguous?

Ambiguous simply means a thing can be read two ways, often by accident. Equivocal usually carries a hint of intent or of unhelpful vagueness — an equivocal reply is one that dodges. In medicine and science, equivocal has the extra technical sense of 'inconclusive'.

What does an equivocal test result mean?

It means the result fell in the grey zone between positive and negative, so the lab cannot call it either way. It is not a diagnosis; the usual next step is to repeat the test or run a different one.

People also searched

explicit vague definite definitive ambiguous conclusive borderline cryptic inconclusive noncommittal unequivocal evasive

Nearby words

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