Word of the Day - 11/03/25
equivocal
/ɪ'kwɪvəkəl/(adj.): open to two or more interpretations; or of uncertain nature or significance; or (often) intended to mislead
His equivocal response left us unsure whether he supported the proposal or opposed it.
(adj.): open to question
The witness's testimony was equivocal, making its reliability open to question.
(adj.): uncertain as a sign or indication
The equivocal signs of recovery made the doctor hesitant to give a definitive prognosis.
Word Origin
The word 'equivocal' originates from the Late Latin word 'aequivocus'. It is formed from 'aequi-' meaning 'equal' (from Latin 'aequus') and '-vocus' meaning 'speaking' or 'calling' (from Latin 'vox', 'vocis' meaning 'voice' or 'vocare' meaning 'to call'). Therefore, it literally means 'of equal voice' or 'having two voices', referring to something that can be interpreted in more than one way, hence ambiguous or uncertain.
Words with similar origins include 'equal', 'equivalent', 'equation', and 'equity' (from 'aequus'). Words like 'voice', 'vocal', 'vocation', 'invoke', 'provoke', and 'advocate' share the 'voc' root from 'vox' or 'vocare'.