equivocation
4 synonyms for equivocation, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — (logic) A mistake in reasoning that comes from using one word with two different meanings.
Synonyms
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Etymology
Attested from around 1380, from Middle English equivocacion, from Old French equivocation, from Medieval Latin aequivocātiō, from aequivocō, from Late Latin aequivocus (“ambiguous, equivocal”), from Latin aequus (“equal”) + vocō (“call”). It is a calque of Ancient Greek ὁμωνυμία (homōnumía).
Full origin of equivocation →