equivocation
/ɪˌkwɪvəˈkeɪʃən/ noun
Forms equivocations æquivocation
- noun (logic) A logical fallacy resulting from the use of multiple meanings of a single expression.
- noun The use of expressions susceptible of a double signification, possibly intentionally and with the aim of misleading.
Synonyms
Etymology
c. 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”); a calque of Ancient Greek ὁμωνυμία (homōnumía).
Webster’s 1913
- noun The use of expressions susceptible of a double signification, with a purpose to mislead.
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “equivocation”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details