ambiguous | Definition & Meaning for the SAT
⚡️ AMBIGUOUS most nearly means: (A) clear; (B) complex; (C) mysterious; (D) unclear. 👉 Answer + examples, pronunciation, and full SAT explanation inside.
ℹ️ Part of speech of ambiguous
ambiguous is an ADJECTIVE.
🗣️ Pronunciation of ambiguous
ambiguous is pronounced /æm.ˈbɪɡ.ju.əs/ or am-BIG-yoo-us.
📚️ Definition of ambiguous
Having more than one possible meaning or interpretation; unclear or vague in meaning. Example: an ambiguous answer to a question.
📰 Examples
Here are some examples of ambiguous:
The contract's ambiguous wording ultimately led to a lengthy legal dispute between the two companies.
Here is a sentence I use in class to exemplify ambiguous pronouns: Bob invited Joe to dinner because he was lonely. (Whom does 'he' refer to? Bob or Joe? It's not clear; it could be either.)
Trikkie's smile was ambiguous.
English has many ambiguous expressions that depend on context and other information to make their meaning clear. The utterance 'fine' is perfect example of this.
✅ Quiz answer
Answer to the question above:
D, unclear. Explanations: A is the opposite—clear means easy to understand, while ambiguous means having multiple possible meanings. B doesn't work; complex refers to something complicated but not necessarily unclear in meaning. C is tempting but wrong; mysterious suggests something secretive or unknown, while ambiguous specifically refers to multiple possible interpretations.