ambiguity

/ˌæmbɪˈɡjuːəti/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌæmbɪˈɡjuːəti/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌam-bə-ˈgyü-ə-tē/ (ame, mw)

ambiguity — noun

1. the quality a piece of writing, speech, or situation has when it can be read in

1.名詞C2
釋義

the quality a piece of writing, speech, or situation has when it can be read in two or more different ways, often leaving the reader or listener unsure which is meant.

例句

The ambiguity in the new tax law has left small business owners unsure how much to pay.

ambiguity in + noun phrase

Lawyers spent hours debating the ambiguity of the phrase "reasonable effort" in the contract.

the ambiguity of + quoted phrase

同義詞
  • vagueness

    lack of clear detail; ambiguity is specifically about more than one possible meaning

  • obscurity

    more about being hard to understand; less about competing meanings

  • uncertainty

    wider — covers doubt about facts or outcomes, not just wording

反義詞
  • clarity

    the quality of being easy to understand with one clear meaning

  • precision

    exact, narrow wording that leaves no room for second readings

文法句型

ambiguity in [something]

ambiguity about [something]

用法筆記

Often paired with verbs like 'remove', 'avoid', 'create', or 'resolve', and with prepositions 'in' (ambiguity in the wording) and 'about' (ambiguity about the rules). Frequently uncountable, but takes 'an' when pointing to a single instance.

常見錯誤

❌The contract has many ambiguity.
✅The contract has many ambiguities.
💡when counting separate cases, use the plural 'ambiguities'.
❌There is ambiguity for the deadline.
✅There is ambiguity about the deadline.
💡the usual preposition is 'about' or 'in', not 'for'.

2. a particular word, sentence, or remark that opens itself to two or more readings

2.名詞C2
釋義

a particular word, sentence, or remark that opens itself to two or more readings — for example, the word 'bank' standing alone, which could mean either a riverside or a place that holds money.

例句

The professor asked us to find three ambiguities in the opening chapter of the novel.

countable plural use

"Visiting relatives can be boring" is a classic ambiguity that puzzles English students.

[X] is a classic ambiguity

同義詞
  • double meaning

    everyday phrase for the same idea — usually a deliberate joke or pun

  • equivocation

    an ambiguous statement, often used on purpose to avoid commitment

文法句型

an ambiguity in [text]

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1: this sense names a concrete textual item you can point to and count (an ambiguity, three ambiguities), whereas sense 1 is the abstract quality. Most common in linguistics, literature, and legal drafting.

常見錯誤

❌This sentence is a ambiguity.
✅This sentence is an ambiguity.
💡'ambiguity' starts with a vowel sound, so use 'an'.