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Prevarication vs Equivocal - What's the difference?

prevarication | equivocal | Related terms |

Prevarication is a related term of equivocal.


As nouns the difference between prevarication and equivocal

is that prevarication is maladministration while equivocal is a word or expression capable of different meanings; an ambiguous term; an equivoque.

As an adjective equivocal is

having two or more equally applicable meanings; capable of double or multiple interpretation; ambiguous; uncertain.

prevarication

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • Deviation from what is right or correct; transgression, perversion.
  • Evasion of the truth; deceit, evasiveness.
    • Prevarication became the order of the day in his government while truth was a stranger in those halls.
  • * Cowper
    • The august tribunal of the skies, where no prevarication shall avail.
  • * 2012 , The Economist, Oct 6th 2012, Charlemagne: Mysterious Mariano
    • Mr Rajoy frustrates many with his prevarication over a fresh euro-zone bail-out, which now comes with a conditional promise from the European Central Bank (ECB) to help bring down Spain’s stifling borrowing costs.
  • A secret abuse in the exercise of a public office.
  • (legal, historical, Ancient Rome) The collusion of an informer with the defendant, for the purpose of making a sham prosecution.
  • (legal) A false or deceitful seeming to undertake a thing for the purpose of defeating or destroying it.
    • (Cowell)
    (Webster 1913)

    Related terms

    * prevaricate * prevaricator

    equivocal

    English

    (Webster 1913)

    Alternative forms

    * (rare)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A word or expression capable of different meanings; an ambiguous term; an equivoque.

    • Synonyms

    * double entendre

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Having two or more equally applicable meanings; capable of double or multiple interpretation; ambiguous; uncertain.
    • equivocal''' words; an '''equivocal sentence
  • * Jeffrey
    • For the beauties of Shakespeare are not of so dim or equivocal a nature as to be visible only to learned eyes.
  • Capable of being ascribed to different motives, or of signifying opposite feelings, purposes, or characters; deserving to be suspected.
    • His actions are equivocal .
  • * Milton
    • equivocal repentances
  • Uncertain, as an indication or sign; doubtful, incongruous.
  • * Burke
    • How equivocal a test.

    Synonyms

    * ambiguous, doubtful, uncertain, indeterminate

    Antonyms

    * unequivocal * (l)

    Derived terms

    * equivocalness

    Related terms

    * equivocation * equivoque

    External links

    * *