equivocate
/ɪˈkwɪvəˌkeɪt/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.72 in modern English
24
Scrabble Score
10
Letters
4
Syllables
9
Unique Chars
Meaning
verb
To speak using double meaning; to speak ambiguously, unclearly or doubtfully, with intent to deceive; to vacillate in one's answers, responding with equivoques.
Intransitive verb
Example Sentences
- "Knock. Knock, knock. Who's there in th'other Deuils Name? Faith here's an Equiuocator, that could ſweare in both the Scales againſt eyther Scale, who committed Treaſon enough for Gods ſake, yet could not equiuocate to Heauen: oh come in, Equiuocator."
- "All that Garnet had to say for him was that he supposed he meant to equivocate."
- "He equivocated his vow by a mental reservation"
Etymology
From Late Middle English equivocaten, from Medieval Latin aequivocātus, perfect passive participle of aequivocō (“to be called by the same name”), from Late Latin aequivocus (“ambiguous, equivocal”). Compare French équivoque.
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: equivocaten, aequivocātus, aequivocus
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ɪˈkwɪvəˌkeɪt/