Antonyms for ambiguous


Grammar : Adj
Spell : am-big-yoo-uhs
Phonetic Transcription : æmˈbɪg yu əs


Definition of ambiguous

Origin :
  • 1520s, from Latin ambiguus "having double meaning, shifting, changeable, doubtful," adjective derived from ambigere "to dispute about," literally "to wander," from ambi- "about" (see ambi-) + agere "drive, lead, act" (see act). Sir Thomas More (1528) seems to have first used it in English, but ambiguity dates back to c.1400. Related: Ambiguously; ambiguousness.
  • adj having more than one meaning
Example sentences :
  • “Possibly,” said he, with an ambiguous half smile, which I did not understand.
  • Extract from : « The First Violin » by Jessie Fothergill
  • Such are the modes in which propositions and terms may be ambiguous.'
  • Extract from : « Euthydemus » by Plato
  • His ambiguous, loose talk, only perplexed and alarmed her; the explanation was none at all.
  • Extract from : « The Strollers » by Frederic S. Isham
  • A cold, ambiguous smile was the only reply he received to this speech.
  • Extract from : « The Fortunes Of Glencore » by Charles James Lever
  • There is cited the case of a negro arrested on an ambiguous charge.
  • Extract from : « Negro Migration during the War » by Emmett J. Scott
  • At the end, he has an ambiguous and temporary knowledge of names and events.
  • Extract from : « The Book-Hunter at Home » by P. B. M. Allan
  • The words in italics are unnecessary, since what is ambiguous is unintelligible.
  • Extract from : « The Verbalist » by Thomas Embly Osmun, (AKA Alfred Ayres)
  • Sometimes he does say ambiguous things that I can't understand.
  • Extract from : « Patchwork » by Anna Balmer Myers
  • It was an ambiguous voice, a voice with double chords in it, so to speak.
  • Extract from : « The Child of Pleasure » by Gabriele D'Annunzio
  • Nash was an ambiguous character but an excellent touchstone.
  • Extract from : « The Tragic Muse » by Henry James

Synonyms for ambiguous

Based on : Thesaurus.com - Gutenberg.org - Dictionary.com - Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019