different between suspense vs ambiguity

English

Alternative forms

• suspence (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English suspense, suspence, from Anglo-Norman suspens (as in en suspens) and Old French suspens, from Latin susp?nsus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /s??sp?ns/
• Rhymes: -?ns

Noun

suspense (usually uncountable, plural suspenses)

1. The condition of being suspended; cessation for a time.
2. the pleasurable emotion of anticipation and excitement regarding the outcome or climax of a book, film etc.
3. The unpleasant emotion of anxiety or apprehension in an uncertain situation.
   • 1656, John Denham, The Destruction of Troy

     Ten days the prophet in suspense remain'd.

4. (law) A temporary cessation of one's right; suspension, as when the rent or other profits of land cease by unity of possession of land and rent.

Derived terms

• suspenseful

Translations

Adjective

suspense (not comparable)

1. (obsolete) Held or lifted up; held or prevented from proceeding.
2. (obsolete) Expressing, or proceeding from, suspense or doubt.

French

Etymology 1

Nominalisation of the feminine form of suspens.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sys.p??s/

Noun

suspense f (plural suspenses)

1. suspense (state of being suspended)

Etymology 2

Borrowed from English suspense, itself from Old French suspense. Doublet of suspens.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sys.p?ns/

Noun

suspense m (plural suspenses)

1. suspense (emotion; feeling)

Further reading

• “suspense” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Galician

Etymology

From French suspense, from English suspense.

Noun

suspense m (plural suspenses)

1. suspense
2. thriller

Italian

Etymology

Borrowed from English suspense.

Noun

suspense f (invariable)

1. suspense (all senses)

Latin

Participle

susp?nse

1. vocative masculine singular of susp?nsus

References

• suspense in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• suspense in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré Latin-Français, Hachette

Portuguese

Noun

suspense m (plural suspenses)

1. suspense (the excited anticipation of an outcome)
2. (fiction) thriller (a suspenseful, sensational genre of fiction)

Spanish

Etymology

From French suspense, from English suspense.

Noun

suspense m (plural suspenses)

1. (Spain) suspense

   Synonym: (Latin America) suspenso

2. thriller

Derived terms

• novela de suspense (“thriller”) (novel genre)
• película de suspense (“thriller”) (film genre)

English

Etymology

From Middle English ambiguite, from Old French ambiguite (French ambiguïté), from Latin ambiguitas.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /æmb???ju??ti/

Noun

ambiguity (countable and uncountable, plural ambiguities)

1. (countable) Something, particularly words and sentences, that is open to more than one interpretation, explanation or meaning, if that meaning etc cannot be determined from its context.

   His speech was made with such great ambiguity that neither supporter nor opponent could be certain of his true position.

2. (uncountable) The state of being ambiguous.

Synonyms

• (state of being ambiguous): ambiguousness, imprecision, polysemy
• weasel word

Antonyms

• unambiguity

Related terms

• ambiguous

Translations