Prevaricate vs. Equivocal — What's the Difference?
Difference Between Prevaricate and Equivocal
ADVERTISEMENT
Definitions
Prevaricate
Speak or act in an evasive way
He seemed to prevaricate when journalists asked pointed questions
Equivocal
Open to more than one interpretation; ambiguous
The equivocal nature of her remarks
Prevaricate
To speak or write evasively.
Equivocal
Open to two or more interpretations and often intended to conceal the truth.
Prevaricate
To deviate, transgress; to go astray (from).
ADVERTISEMENT
Equivocal
Characterized by a mixture of opposing elements and therefore questionable or uncertain
Evidence of the drug's effectiveness has been equivocal.
Prevaricate
(intransitive) To shift or turn from direct speech or behaviour; to deviate from the truth; to evade the truth; to waffle or be (intentionally) ambiguous.
The people saw the politician prevaricate every day.
Equivocal
Having two or more equally applicable meanings; capable of double or multiple interpretation.
Equivocal words
An equivocal sentence
Prevaricate
To collude, as where an informer colludes with the defendant, and makes a sham prosecution.
Equivocal
Capable of being ascribed to different motives, or of signifying opposite feelings, purposes, or characters; deserving to be suspected.
His actions are equivocal.
ADVERTISEMENT
Prevaricate
To undertake something falsely and deceitfully, with the purpose of defeating or destroying it.
Equivocal
Uncertain, as an indication or sign.
Prevaricate
To shift or turn from one side to the other, from the direct course, or from truth; to speak with equivocation; to shuffle; to quibble; as, he prevaricates in his statement.
He prevaricates with his own understanding.
Equivocal
(philosophy) A word or expression capable of different meanings; an ambiguous term.
Prevaricate
To collude, as where an informer colludes with the defendant, and makes a sham prosecution.
Equivocal
Literally, called equally one thing or the other; hence:) Having two significations equally applicable; capable of double interpretation; of doubtful meaning; ambiguous; uncertain; as, equivocal words; an equivocal sentence.
For the beauties of Shakespeare are not of so dim or equivocal a nature as to be visible only to learned eyes.
Prevaricate
To undertake a thing falsely and deceitfully, with the purpose of defeating or destroying it.
Equivocal
Capable of being ascribed to different motives, or of signifying opposite feelings, purposes, or characters; deserving to be suspected; as, his actions are equivocal.
Prevaricate
To evade by a quibble; to transgress; to pervert.
Equivocal
Uncertain, as an indication or sign; doubtful.
Prevaricate
Be deliberately ambiguous or unclear in order to mislead or withhold information
Equivocal
A word or expression capable of different meanings; an ambiguous term; an equivoque.
In languages of great ductility, equivocals like that just referred to are rarely found.
Equivocal
Open to two or more interpretations; or of uncertain nature or significance; or (often) intended to mislead;
An equivocal statement
The polling had a complex and equivocal (or ambiguous) message for potential female candidates
The officer's equivocal behavior increased the victim's uneasiness
Popularity is an equivocal crown
An equivocal response to an embarrassing question
Equivocal
Open to question;
Aliens of equivocal loyalty
His conscience reproached him with the equivocal character of the union into which he had forced his son
Equivocal
Uncertain as a sign or indication;
The evidence from bacteriologic analysis was equivocal
