Prevaricate vs Cavil - What's the difference?
prevaricate | cavil | Related terms |
(transitive, intransitive, obsolete) To deviate, transgress; to go astray (from).
To shift or turn from direct speech or behaviour; to evade the truth; to waffle or be (intentionally) ambiguous.
(legal) To collude, as where an informer colludes with the defendant, and makes a sham prosecution.
(legal, UK) To undertake something falsely and deceitfully, with the purpose of defeating or destroying it.
To criticise for petty or frivolous reasons.
* 1598? , William Shakespeare, Two Gentlemen of Verona , Act I, scene I:
*{{quote-book, year=1913, author=
, title=Lord Stranleigh Abroad
, chapter=5 * 1928 , D. H. Lawrence, Lady Chatterley's Lover :
A petty or trivial objection or criticism.
* 1835 , Charles G. Finney, Lectures on revivals of religion :
Prevaricate is a related term of cavil.
In lang=en terms the difference between prevaricate and cavil
is that prevaricate is to shift or turn from direct speech or behaviour; to evade the truth; to waffle or be (intentionally) ambiguous while cavil is to criticise for petty or frivolous reasons.As verbs the difference between prevaricate and cavil
is that prevaricate is (transitive|intransitive|obsolete) to deviate, transgress; to go astray (from) while cavil is to criticise for petty or frivolous reasons.As a noun cavil is
a petty or trivial objection or criticism.prevaricate
English
Alternative forms
* (archaic)Verb
(prevaricat)- The people saw the politician prevaricate every day.
Derived terms
* prevarication * prevaricatorSee also
* lie ----cavil
English
Alternative forms
* cavel, cavellVerb
- 'Tis love you cavil at: I am not Love.
citation, passage=Stranleigh found no difficulty in getting a cavalcade together at Bleacher’s station, an amazingly long distance west of New York. A man finds little trouble in obtaining what he wants, if he never cavils at the price asked, and is willing to pay in advance.}}
- I wish you wouldn't cavil , Hilda.
Synonyms
* be hypercritical, nitpick, pettifog, split hairsNoun
(en noun)- It is not worth while to spend your time in arguing against a cavil , but make him feel he is committing a sin to plead it, and thus enlist his conscience on your side.