Uses deliberately ambiguous language to mislead or deceive someone, or speaks in a way that has multiple interpretations.
From Latin 'equivocus' (equi- 'equal' + vox 'voice'), meaning 'of equal voice or sound.' The term evolved in English to describe speech that sounds the same but means different things, used deceptively since the 16th century.
This word is brilliant because it captures something we all do—say something that could mean two different things so we don't have to directly lie. Shakespeare loved using equivocation, especially in Macbeth with the witches' prophecies that seem to promise victory but actually guarantee defeat.
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