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GRE vocabulary

ambiguous

adjectiveHigh-frequency wordMore A words

open to more than one interpretation; unclear

Word origin: From Latin ambiguus, doubtful (ambi- both ways plus agere to drive).

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In a sentence

Ambiguous in a sentence

Here are example sentences showing ambiguous in a sentence.

The contract's ambiguous wording led to a costly legal dispute.

The treaty's ambiguous wording allowed both governments to claim victory on the disputed clause.

Synonyms
Antonyms
cleardefiniteunambiguous

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Verbal · Text Completion

The committee's report was praised for its candor, yet its central recommendation was so blank that administrators could cite it to justify nearly any policy they had already resolved to pursue.

Select the word that best completes the sentence.

Usage & nuance

Using “ambiguous” well

Ambiguous describes language or situations open to more than one interpretation. Distinguish it from ambivalent, which describes mixed feelings within a person, not unclear meaning in a text.

Common questions

Questions about “ambiguous”

Ambiguous (adjective) means open to more than one interpretation; unclear
Here is ambiguous used in an example sentence: "The contract's ambiguous wording led to a costly legal dispute." Another example: "The treaty's ambiguous wording allowed both governments to claim victory on the disputed clause."
Common synonyms for ambiguous include equivocal, vague, obscure.
Antonyms of ambiguous include clear, definite, unambiguous.
Ambiguous clusters with equivocal, vague, and obscure in Sentence Equivalence. Its antonyms clear, definite, and unambiguous mark the precision a passage may contrast against it.
Yes. Ambiguous is a high-frequency GRE word, so it is worth prioritising as you build your vocabulary.

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