different between prevarication vs equivocal

English

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman prevaricassion, Middle French prevarication, and their source, Latin praev?ric?ti? (“collusion with an opponent; transgression; deceit”), from the stem of praev?ricor.

Pronunciation

• (non-merged vowel) IPA^(key): /p???væ???ke???n/
• (merged vowel) IPA^(key): /p???væ???ke???n/
• Rhymes: -e???n

Noun

prevarication (countable and uncountable, plural prevarications)

1. (now rare) Deviation from what is right or correct; transgression, perversion.
2. Evasion of the truth; deceit, evasiveness.

   Prevarication became the order of the day in his government while truth was a stranger in those halls.

   • 1779, William Cowper, Retirement

     The august tribunal of the skies, where no prevarication shall avail.

   • 2012, The Economist, Oct 6th 2012, Charlemagne: Mysterious Mariano

     Mr Rajoy frustrates many with his prevarication over a fresh euro-zone bail-out, which now comes with a conditional promise from the European Central Bank (ECB) to help bring down Spain’s stifling borrowing costs.

3. A secret abuse in the exercise of a public office.
4. (law, historical, Ancient Rome) The collusion of an informer with the defendant, for the purpose of making a sham prosecution.
5. (law) A false or deceitful seeming to undertake a thing for the purpose of defeating or destroying it.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Cowell to this entry?)

Related terms

• prevaricate
• prevaricator

Translations

See also

• lie
• equivocate

Further reading

• Prevarication in the Encyclopædia Britannica (11th edition, 1911)

Middle French

Noun

prevarication f (plural prevarications)

1. prevarication (deviation from what is right)

Descendants

• ? English: prevarication
• French: prévarication

English

Alternative forms

• æquivocal (rare, obsolete)

Etymology

From Late Latin aequivocus +? -al, from aequus +? voc?.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /??kw?v?k?l/
• (US) IPA^(key): /??kw?v?k(?)l/
• hyphenation UK: equivo?cal

Noun

equivocal (plural equivocals)

1. A word or expression capable of different meanings; an ambiguous term.

   Synonyms: double entendre, equivoque

Translations

Adjective

equivocal (comparative more equivocal, superlative most equivocal)

1. Having two or more equally applicable meanings; capable of double or multiple interpretation.

   Synonyms: ambiguous, indeterminate

   Antonyms: unequivocal, univocal

   • 1817, William Hazlitt, Characters of Shakespeare's Plays

     For the beauties of Shakespeare are not of so dim or equivocal a nature as to be visible only to learned eyes.

2. Capable of being ascribed to different motives, or of signifying opposite feelings, purposes, or characters; deserving to be suspected.
3. Uncertain, as an indication or sign.

   Synonyms: uncertain, doubtful, incongruous

   Antonym: certain

   • 1796, Edmund Burke, a letter to a noble lord

     How equivocal a test.

Derived terms

• equivocality
• equivocalness

Related terms

• equivocation
• equivoque

Translations

Further reading

• equivocal in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• equivocal in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.