| ambiguity definitions |
| # | Definition | Sets |
| 1 | uncertainty; vagueness | 23 sets |
| 2 | unclearness by virtue of having more than one meaning | 21 sets |
| 3 | the multiple meanings, either intentional or unintentional, of a word, phrase, sentence, or passage. | 21 sets |
| 4 | an expression whose meaning cannot be determined from its context | 18 sets |
| 5 | doubtfulness or uncertainty of meaning or intention | 13 sets |
| 6 | the multiple meanings, either intentional or unintentional, of a word, phrase, sentence, or passage | 12 sets |
| 7 | an event or situation that may be interpreted in more than one way. | 12 sets |
| 8 | the quality of having two possible meanings | 11 sets |
| 9 | uncertain or indefinite; subject to more than one interpretation | 10 sets |
| 10 | uncertainty, vagueness | 10 sets |
| 11 | -a statement which can contain two or more meanings. for example when the oracle at delphi told croesus that if he waged war on cyrus he would destroy a great empire croesus thought the oracle meant his enemy's empire. in fact the empire croesus destro | 9 sets |
| 12 | a vagueness of meaning; a conscious lack of clarity meant to evoke multiple meanings and interpretation | 9 sets |
| 13 | multiple meanings | 8 sets |
| 14 | uncertainty in meaning | 8 sets |
| 15 | a technique by which a writer deliberately suggests two or more different, and sometimes conflicting, meanings in a work. | 7 sets |
| 16 | doubtfulness or uncertainty as regards interpretation | 7 sets |
| 17 | multiple meanings a literary work may communicate, especially two meanings that are incompatible | 5 sets |
| 18 | what is unclear. warrants closer attention | 5 sets |
| 19 | uncertianty | 5 sets |
| 20 | unclear | 5 sets |
| 21 | uncertainty or inexactness of meaning in language | 5 sets |
| 22 | unclear; not certain | 4 sets |
| 23 | an event or situation that may be interpreted in more than one way | 4 sets |
| 24 | a vagueness of meaning; a conscious lack of clarity meant to evoke multiple meanings and interpretation. | 4 sets |
| 25 | a statement which can contain two or more meanings | 4 sets |
| 26 | having two or more different and sometimes conflicting meanings; lack of clarity in a work. | 4 sets |
| 27 | allows for two or more simultaneous interpretations of a word, phrase, action, or situation, all of which can be supported by the context of a work. deliberate ambiguity can contribute to the effectiveness and richness of a work, for example, in the open-ended conclusion to hawthorne's "young goodman brown." however, unintentional ambiguity obscures meaning and can confuse readers. | 4 sets |
| 28 | a statement which can contain two or more meanings. | 4 sets |
| 29 | uncertainty | 4 sets |
| 30 | capability of being understood in two or more ways | 3 sets |
| 31 | doubtfulness or uncertainty of meaning | 3 sets |
| 32 | two or more simultaneous interpretations of something. | 3 sets |
| 33 | an unclear, indefinite, or equivocal word, expression, meaning | 3 sets |
| 34 | the expression of an idea in such a way that more than one meaning is suggested | 3 sets |
| 35 | a multiplicity of meaning; something that signifies two or more meanings or diverse feelings | 3 sets |
| 36 | having two or more different and sometimes conflicting meanings; lack of clarity in a work | 3 sets |
| 37 | uncertainty of meaning or intention | 3 sets |
| 38 | the property of having 2 meanings | 3 sets |
| 39 | allows multiple meanings to coexist in a word or a metaphor; it doesn't mean that it isn't clear but that a good reader can see more than one possible interpretation at the same time | 3 sets |
| 40 | the multiple meanings, either intentional or unintentional, of a word, phrse, sentence, or passage. | 3 sets |