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GRE vocabulary

equivocal

adjectiveHigh-frequency wordMore E words

open to more than one interpretation; deliberately ambiguous

Word origin: From Latin aequus, equal, plus vox, voice, hence of equal voices.

In a sentence

Equivocal in a sentence

Here are example sentences showing equivocal in a sentence.

His equivocal reply left everyone guessing at his true position.

The experiment yielded equivocal results that supported neither hypothesis decisively.

Synonyms
ambiguousvagueevasive
Antonyms
clearunambiguousdefinite
Usage & nuance

Using “equivocal” well

Equivocal means open to more than one reading, sometimes by accident and sometimes by design. Do not confuse it with unequivocal, its near-opposite, meaning perfectly clear.

Common questions

Questions about “equivocal

Equivocal (adjective) means open to more than one interpretation; deliberately ambiguous
Here is equivocal used in an example sentence: "His equivocal reply left everyone guessing at his true position." Another example: "The experiment yielded equivocal results that supported neither hypothesis decisively."
Common synonyms for equivocal include ambiguous, vague, evasive.
Antonyms of equivocal include clear, unambiguous, definite.
Clusters with ambiguous, vague, and evasive in Sentence Equivalence. Its antonyms clear, unambiguous, and definite mark the contrast, and unequivocal is the standard trap.
Yes. Equivocal is a high-frequency GRE word, so it is worth prioritising as you build your vocabulary.

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Vocabulary sticks when you meet it in real sentences. Practise these words inside text completion and sentence equivalence questions.