ambiguity
Meaning: The quality of being open to more than one interpretation, or the state of having an unclear or uncertain meaning.
In linguistics, ambiguity can be lexical (a single word having multiple meanings, such as 'bank') or structural (a sentence that can be parsed in more than one way). Whilst ambiguity is generally avoided in legal and scientific writing, it is often deliberately employed in literature and poetry to create richness of meaning. The adjective form 'ambiguous' is more commonly used in everyday speech.
Examples
- The ambiguity of the headline 'Police help dog bite victim' made it unintentionally amusing. Police help dog bite victim'这则标题的歧义使其无意中变得滑稽。La ambigüedad del titular 'Police help dog bite victim' lo hizo involuntariamente cómico.「Police help dog bite victim」という見出しの曖昧さは、意図せず滑稽なものとなった。Police help dog bite victim'이라는 헤드라인의 모호함은 의도치 않게 웃음을 자아냈다.
- Legal drafters strive to eliminate ambiguity so that contracts cannot be interpreted in conflicting ways. 法律起草者力求消除歧义,以使合同不会被做出相互矛盾的解释。Los redactores jurídicos se esfuerzan por eliminar la ambigüedad para que los contratos no puedan interpretarse de maneras contradictorias.法律の起草者は、契約が矛盾した解釈をされないよう曖昧さの排除に努める。법률 기초자는 계약이 상충되는 해석을 허용하지 않도록 모호함의 제거에 힘쓴다.
- The poet used ambiguity to allow multiple readings of the final stanza, enriching the work's interpretive possibilities. 诗人利用歧义使末节诗句具有多种解读可能,丰富了作品的诠释空间。El poeta empleó la ambigüedad para permitir múltiples lecturas de la última estrofa, enriqueciendo las posibilidades interpretativas de la obra.詩人は最終連に複数の読みを許す曖昧さを用いることで、作品の解釈の可能性を豊かにした。시인은 마지막 연에 복수의 읽기를 허용하는 모호함을 사용함으로써 작품의 해석 가능성을 풍부하게 했다.
Pronunciation
Usage Guide
Context: academic, professional, media
Tone: neutral
Origin & History
From Latin ambiguitas, from ambiguus (having two meanings, uncertain), from ambigere (to go around, waver), from ambi- (both ways) and agere (to drive). Used in English since the 15th century.
Cultural Context
Era: Modern
Generation: All ages
Social background: Universal
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