Ambiguous words examples more_vert Take the ambiguous words presented in 1–2 as examples; researchers are interested in whether the ‘fruit’ meaning of the homonymous word date would be activated when it is presented in 1a and whether the ‘content’ Common examples of ambiguity provided include ambiguous subjects or objects in sentences. example is ambiguous and could have e ither a singular or plural verb . Any language is acceptable. It is an ambiguous color that I cannot describe. See examples of semantic, syntactic, and narrative ambiguity, and how to avoid or Oct 29, 2024 · There are many examples of how ambiguity has been used in various written works. By Reggie Oliver | Published in The Sixth Black Book of Horror | In 2010 | 4,000 words When a distant relative word or sentence is ambiguous if it has two (or more) meanings. of a word. For example, the denotation of the word “knife” is a cutting instrument. ambiguous words), the proposed system ac hieved a precision . Since these contexts are similar to the contexts used to create the word vectors, they are a natural probe to measure the extent to which the resulting DSV of a word is closer to or further from its contexts. In some cases wording can be ambiguous although the words are not. , are polysemes). What is “USER-FRIENDLY” for John is not the same for Mary. A bowl of a particular brand of Ambiguous in a Sentence Examples. Clear-cut: The decision was ambiguous and subject to debate. Her story then ends abruptly, and the final section of the novel is composed of “Historical Notes” offered by a character Nov 21, 2023 · Discover ambiguity in literature. from publication: What’s the Difference ? Contributions of Lexical Ambiguity, Reading Comprehension, and How meaning similarity influences ambiguous word processing: the current state of the literature Published online: 3 June 2014 # Psychonomic Society, Inc. Ambiguity in writing, though sometimes intentional, can be the cause of much confusion (and sometimes a few laughs). ”. For example, the word. For example, experiments have shown that, given accurate sense An untidy black lettering crawls all over these signs, overpacking them with percussive, ambiguous syllables. If you don't find what you're looking for, try a different search. according as the brother and the editor are one person or two. 2 We will argue that such examples are not instances of lexical ambiguity: neither of these cases requires us to Oct 29, 2024 · Examples of Ambiguity in Literature. CK 1497963 This time, the exam was not just difficult, but also, the questions were ambiguous. These examples have been What are some examples of notations and words in maths which have been overused or abused to the point of them being almost completely ambiguous when presented in new contexts? For instance, a fun Skip to main content. Last Updated: 4 Jan 2025. language learners tend to know only the common meaning of a polysemous word, understand it as a monosemic word, and ignore or forget noncore meanings, which causes - serious problems in translation. The following ambiguity, for example, is borne directly out of failure to tell which connective has widest scope: For logophiles, whether you tend toward pleonasm or perspicacious thrift. Furthermore, through Gatsby’s moral ambiguity, Fitzgerald reveals that Selection of a sample of ambiguous words was based on a pretest in which the relative . Watch video clips that show how to use ambiguous in a sentence. Lot of example sentences with the word ambiguous. The guidelines provided to the annotators allowed them to label a senses as “None” if none of the concepts in the UMLS seemed appropriate. Explicit: The rules were written in an ambiguous manner. Ambiguity can occur in various forms, such as puns, double meanings, or in the context of humorous jokes Most words are ambiguous: a single word form can re fer to more than one different concept. It is an uncertainty or double meaning of words or phrases that can lead to confusion or misunderstanding. ”Ambiguity is when a word, phrase, or statement can be interpreted Jul 23, 2024 · Weasel words examples. Oct 30, 2024 · In this article, we’ll explore 30 examples of ambiguity that highlight how language and meaning can get tangled up. This form of ambiguity is often referred to as ‘lexical ambiguity’. Ambiguity refers to a situation in which a term, statement, sentence, or action can be interpreted in an ambiguous or multiple way. The semantic analysis correctly interprets the meaning of words and expressions []. , the “bird” meaning of “crane”). com. Often it is not appreciated because precision is valued over ambiguity in terms of writing. See examples of AMBIGUOUS used in a sentence. Where syntax is concerned, it is usually the lack of Ambiguous Sentences -Examples and their meanings. Revised on July 24, 2023. Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ambiguous. Making ambiguous statements decreases your chances of success. You have chosen not to accept cookies when visiting our site. They simply apply statistical methods to the words surrounding the ambiguous word. Jun 15, 2010 · Disambiguating Highly Ambiguous Words Geoffrey Towell* Siemens Corporate Research Ellen M. Similarly, disambiguating regions following the target words were also manipulated to favor either the dominant or subordinate meanings of ambiguous words. ' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. One's comprehension of a sentence in which a semantically ambiguous word is used Jul 14, 2024 · Word Form Variations "Ambiguous" is a single adjective describing something unclear or open to multiple interpretations. By using antonyms, writers can enhance the clarity and understanding of their writing, as these words provide a clear contrast to ambiguous concepts or ideas. PoetrySoup is a great educational poetry resource of famous ambiguous poems. For example, head means part of body, top, leader, et al. Our search tries its best to match you with stories that fit your request, but results may vary based on keywords and what's available. The word plane, for Oct 9, 2021 · An ambiguity is a word, statement, or phrase that leaves room for more than one interpretation. Meaning: Indistinct, not clearly defined. , "bank"). Ambiguity is also discussed in several examples from literature, where ambiguous words or phrases allow for deeper Many trimorphemic words are structurally and semantically ambiguous. Ambiguous sentence: 'I saw someone across the street with binoculars' Meaning: Did you use binoculars to see someone? Or did the person you saw have binoculars? Ambiguous For a sample of 1 0 ambiguous Arabi c words, that w ere . Avoid in Clarity. French and An untidy black lettering crawls all over these signs, overpacking them with percussive, ambiguous syllables. all exact any . (2) John told the girl that Bill liked the story. Antonyms are words with opposite meanings to one another. Ambiguous sentence: 'I saw someone across the street with binoculars' Meaning: Did you use binoculars to see someone? Or did the person you saw have binoculars? Ambiguous Ambiguity example in Philosophy. Each court reporter might use different conventions to represent homonyms or other ambiguous words. In another example, the word attribute can refer to a feature or a quality of a person or thing, but it can also mean “to ascribe to,” as in being the cause of something. Suggested topics are new words, expressions, neologisms, neoterisms, sniglets, odd usages, reanimated words, words you never knew existed, words you wish existed, or even words you would like expurgated from the space-time continuum. See examples of ambiguous sentences, phrases, and stories that leave room for multiple interpretations. Ambiguity, or fallacy of ambiguity, is a word, phrase, or statement which contains more than one meaning. We will see what it is, how it is used, and why do people choose to use it deliberately: What Is Ambiguity? Ambiguity is the kind of meaning in which a Oct 1, 2020 · ambiguous words are considered. Ambiguous words make it dangerously easy for people to have different interpretations of what they just saw or heard. Connotation, on the other hand, involves the emotions, ideas, and Contributing to the confusion of ambiguous meaning are weasel words, which seem to provide useful insight but turn up empty. The words are ambiguous, and they mean many different things. EurLex-2. However, to add humor to the text, ambiguity is used intentionally. Lexical ambiguity is one of several types of ambiguities and is widespread in human languages. Better Essays. Think about what the word means. I think someone previously used the word ambiguous, that is absolutely spot on what he wanted. Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid’s Tale Near the end of Atwood’s dystopian novel, heroine Offred is brought out of the Commander’s house and leaves with Eyes, who may or may not belong to the rebel group Mayday. Ambiguity is when a word, phrase, or idea has more than one meaning or can be understood in more than one way. Examples from the Collins Corpus. This can . ambiguous words was established. Send us feedback about these examples. Replacing these words with concrete language, or “tangible qualities or characteristics, things we Lexical semantics can help us to identify the correct word use by contextualizing it in surrounding language and context. Learn about the four types of ambiguity, how t Sep 3, 2024 · Learn what ambiguity is and how it can occur in words and sentences. Clues in Context. English word roots commonly come from which two languages? Greek and Italian. Medieval Theories of Analogy Ashworth, E. Examples of unintentional ambiguity can be found in everyday conversations, where word choices often lead to misunderstandings. Some researchers prefer the term ‘semantic ambiguity’ as this These are examples of famous Ambiguous poems written by some of the greatest and most-well-known modern and classical poets. WikiMatrix. Ambiguous Sentences -Examples and their meanings. When clarity is essential, avoid ambiguous language to prevent misunderstandings. Ambiguity can be termed as an expression or state which can be recognized in several ways. Use visual tools: Elicit requirements using What does 'Ambiguous' mean? Ambiguous means having multiple possible meanings or interpretations. The content available on our site is the result of the daily efforts of our editors. Advantages of Using Abstract Words. 3) The exam was tough not because the questions were difficult, but because they were ambiguous. Mr. Examples of Ambiguity Fallacy in Philosophy: An example of ambiguity is that the word “bank” can mean a financial institution or a river’s edge. For example, a scholar of the bible might take ambiguous words in the bible and try to identify its most Government officials have been quite ambiguous on this issue. Like eggcorns, crash blossoms test a reader's sprachgefühl, or sense of language, and are ˜ambiguous™ and that the Arabic philosophers, starting with Alfarabi, made being said in a prior and a posterior sense the main characteristic of all ambiguous terms. can lead to ambiguous expressions like the weapon(‘)s inspector, whose two denotations are distinguished orthographically, but not phonologically. I hope it's For example, the word “sew” in its printed form usually refers either to “making stitches with . Lo cual demuestra claramente nuestro punto: Las frases ambiguas, o que contienen palabras ambiguas , pueden descarrilar totalmente la interpretación automática de un The meaning of AMBIGUOUS is doubtful or uncertain especially from obscurity or indistinctness. These examples illustrate what a famous ambiguous poem looks like and its form, scheme, or style (where appropriate). Can you solve 4 High quality example sentences with “ambiguous words” in context from reliable sources - Ludwig is the linguistic search engine that helps you to write better in English Mar 4, 2024 · Aims and Objectives:Translation ambiguous words are lexical items with one-to-many equivalents in another language. 6. 1 We will say that the word cousin is indeterminate with respect to gender, and that the word kick is indeterminate with respect to which foot is used. Some . For example, a sentence like "I saw her duck" could be interpreted as either witnessing a person named "Duck" or observing someone crouch down. The man was speaking in an ambiguous way. 6 . Updated: Nov 3, 2023 · Download Table | Dominant/subordinate meaning frequencies for ambiguous words from publication: Revisiting effects of contextual strength on the subordinate bias effect: Evidence from eye Jul 13, 2020 · Polysemes are another class of ambiguous words, and they have multiple related meanings. Examples from Collins dictionaries. Jim Parsons Hold on. While it can be unintentional in some cases, many writers intentionally use ambiguity as a paraphrasing tool to make their writing more intriguing. Example: “Let’s define what A classic example of an ambiguous requirement is “The system must have a USER-FRIENDLY user interface”. The meaning of his words was obvious. These include ambiguity of language, acquiring common sense, discourse identification, and language being dynamic. Pay attention to the pronunciation of ambiguous. Do you mean every other month or twice a month? David Carroll Even if we only briefly consider multiple meanings of ambiguous words, it is somewhat 2 days ago · Look to the adjective ambiguous when you need to describe something that's open to more than one interpretation, like the headline "Squad helps dog bite victim. For example, consider the short phrase, “I read the book. ; There was nothing Nov 4, 2019 · Examples . Some words are written and pronounced the same way, yet have more than Jul 20, 2020 · Lexicographically close words: ambergris; ambidextrous; ambient; ambiguities; ambiguity; ambiguously; ambishun; ambit; ambition; ambitions Such words if spoken without context are of ambiguous signification. having or. É John told the girl something, namely that Bill liked the story. Certain words have vague meanings and require the careful examination of the surrounding context. 86 . Some of these equivalents are more dominant (i. 17 Trees: Structural ambiguity in syntax In Section 5. : Since the events of September 11, and with the ambiguous source of anthrax attacks, there have been concerns of suspect packages. 2014 Abstract The majority of words in the English language do not correspond to a single meaning, but rather correspond to two or more unrelated meanings (i. 1) Her decision was ambiguous. First, try to identify the Greek or Latin root by Oct 28, 2022 · There are many difficulties while interpreting a natural language. However, this is not always possible. 1. They can mislead audiences by implying promises that aren’t definitively stated. ' This sentence can be interpreted in two ways: either the man was on the hill and using a telescope, or the speaker was on the hill and saw a man Most words are ambiguous: a single word form can refer to more than one different concept. Coda can, for example, refer to a queue or the tail of an animal; the word classe can refer to Example (2) is also ambiguous. The decision was clear-cut and final. ; The blacks and whites and reds and golds were all there, unchanged, not a breath of the ambiguous discipline upon them. Puns and other creative uses of language provide enough examples. Ambiguous words. 25 examples: Thus, a less ambiguous term, forgetting, will be used in the present paper. Study the definition of ambiguous, view examples of ambiguity in literature and poetry, and learn why ambiguity is used. I mention this merely to disambiguate what this entry is about, which concerns a word or phrase enjoying multiple meanings. English We remember the unfortunate way in which the Council, by means of ambiguous wording, complicated the discussion when the project was first being moulded. Published on May 17, 2023 by Kassiani Nikolopoulou. For instance, it is ambiguous to say “I rode a black horse in red pajamas,” because it may lead us to think the horse was has a large number of ambiguous words. To support our work, we invite you to accept cookies or to subscribe. This process is challenging for meanings of ambiguous words that are comparatively lower in frequency (e. , which are all related to Dec 7, 2024 · In general terms, a word is ambiguous if its intended meaning is in some way unclear to the reader. Some words are just too wishy-washy and non-specific to effectively deliver your message. having or expressing more than one possible meaning, sometimes intentionally: 2. : A web browser is one of few Ambiguity can arise due to multiple factors, such as the use of ambiguous words or phrases, unclear context, or conflicting interpretations. Voorhees* Siemens Corporate Research A word sense disambiguator that is able to distinguish among the many senses of common words that are found in general-purpose, broad-coverage lexicons would be useful. In a study exploring the effects of translation Sample sentences with "ambiguous words" Declension Stem . equivocal. Sarah Zobel Introduction to Semantic Theory Structural Ambiguity I. The exemplary ambiguous character in Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby,” is Jay Gatsby. For example, the word form “bark” can refer either to the noise made by a Example: “In this context, this phrase means” Different Interpretations of Common Words: Common words can have multiple meanings. The rules were written in an explicit manner. com English words and Examples of Usage Example Sentences for "ambiguous" I feel pretty ambiguous about the partyThe President was purposefully ambiguous in his reply. The legal document was written in such an ambiguous language that I was really bored while reading it. Read the captions and think about the collocations (words found in the same sentence as ambiguous). g. Salinger) Examples of AMBIGUOUS TERM in a sentence, how to use it. These examples were manually disambiguated by 11 annotators. Jay Gatsby is a morally ambiguous character because of the actions he takes in order to achieve his own goals, Daisy. distinct meanings depending on context: “ Mars” or “ fire s Equivocation Fallacy | Definition & Examples. Apr 23, 2024 · Learn what ambiguity is and how it can be used in writing, literature, and popular culture. dress-ball make up this joke. Here's the breakdown: Singular: ambiguous Plural: ambiguous (since it describes a characteristic, it remains the same for singular or plural nouns) AMBIGUOUS WORD definition | Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples Oct 23, 2016 · We have seen that, sometimes, linguistics can come in help of the speaker, and clarify semantic ambiguity. Students have ambiguous feelings about their role in the world. ” Resolving Examples of Ambiguity in Literature. How to use ambiguous in a sentence. 4) People who give English Contextual examples of "ambiguous words" in English These sentences come from external sources and may not be accurate. CK 1316462 He might possibly say something ambiguous again. 9 we saw cases of structural ambiguity in morphology, cases where the same string of morphemes can have more than one structure, with each structure corresponding to a Some words are written and pronounced the same way, yet have more than one meaning: they are called polysemous terms. Match words . For example, the word form “bark” can refer either to the noise made by a dog, or to the outer covering of a tree. Examples: In the American Psycho film and book, it is AMBIGUOUS whether the main character is a serial killer, or if he is hallucinating all of his crimes out of mental illness. Identify the author's intent by looking at the broader context around For example, the ambiguous word “rabbit” has the literal primary sense “the animal”, and the literal secondary sense “the meat of that animal”. I feel pretty ambiguous about the party. They provide clarity and precision in language by offering simple, straightforward alternatives to ambiguous terms. Greek and Latin. In the famous epic “Beowulf,” the hero is a typical epic character- a powerful brave warrior on a quest. If, for instance, "Last night I shot an elephant in my pajamas. 2) The dress is neither green, nor blue. Fluent language comprehension requires people to rapidly activate and integrate context-appropriate word meanings. Which interpretation is preferred and whether the preceding sentence context affects the initial interpretation is not clear from prior research. ” Explanation of Ambiguity. a needle and thread” or “planting seeds in the earth AMBIGUOUS definition: 1. This ambiguity can arise due to different interpretations, contexts, or word usage. As ambiguous as a shadow at dusk. In safety instructions, never use ambiguous terms. Second, there are a number of ways in which a word can be ambiguous. volume_up more_vert. Mar 7, 2024 · The meaning of his words was ambiguous. From classic jokes that rely on double meanings to famous quotes that leave you pondering, these examples Sep 28, 2023 · Learn what ambiguity is and how it can arise from language, context, or intent. - It is rather an Mar 7, 2024 · Antonyms are words with opposite meanings to one another. Intro Elementary examples Scope and syntactic domains Summary The 2nd and 3rd example is based on the double meaning of one word. Dr. latitude is allowed in the interpretation of ab stract Introduction. Fun fact: the word ‘ambiguous’, at least according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is ambiguous: it can mean uncertainty or dubiousness on the one hand and a sign bearing multiple meanings on the other. : A web browser is one of few Learn how to avoid vague or ambiguous terms, misuse of contingencies and disclosures, mishandling of earnest money and escrow, neglect of title and closing issues, and failure to protect your Results for Ambiguous Symbolism. In the 3rd example, the ambiguous word is ball: sport vs. Another example of an ambiguity fallacy is when someone argues for one thing and then switches to arguing for something else without acknowledging the change in They may use complex and convoluted sentences, throw in irrelevant information, change the topic frequently, and use ambiguous words or phrases to create confusion. Jennifer 2009. Vague words are weak and can lead to situations where the 57232 The meaning of this sentence is ambiguous. Please avoid ambiguous words while writing a report. Examples of ambiguous term in a sentence, how to use it. Definite: The schedule for the event was ambiguous. For example, it is common to explain an unfamiliar term by using "or" and a familiar synonym in parentheses: "the orca (or killer whale) Oct 1, 2010 · The corpus consists of 5000 examples of ambiguous terms found in Medline. The draft Constitution also contains some imprecise and ambiguous wording. Here are some examples and observations. [1] Like other kinds of ambiguity, semantic ambiguities are often clarified by context or by prosody. Synonyms. Middle English and German. The example sentences for the word ambiguous that we present on this web site, stems from different official sources. chosen by th eir number of s enses out of c ontexts (the most . Types of Ambiguity Semantic Ambiguity This kind of ambiguity is present when a word is “polysemous,” or, Jul 31, 2024 · Pro Tip 2/3. Learn what ambiguity is and how it can be used in literature, language, and life. Frequently Asked Questions About ambiguous. It doesn't have separate forms for singular and plural or other grammatical variations. Learn more. Weasel words in advertising example A pharmaceutical ad in a magazine includes the claim, “Studies suggest that this new drug could potentially Sep 30, 2024 · Ambiguity in Humor. How he got in my pajamas, I'll never know". Stack Exchange Network. - It is rather an May 16, 2011 · Fun fact: the word ‘ambiguous’, at least according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is ambiguous: it can mean uncertainty or dubiousness on the one hand and a sign bearing multiple meanings on the other. Similarly, the word kick means to hit something with one’s foot, but does not specify whether the left or right foot is used. At times, ambiguity is reliant on context; something can be ambiguous in one situation while unambiguous in another. But we also use news articles, books and other generic texts to gather example sentences of how the word Sep 14, 2023 · Avoid ambiguity: Avoid using abstract words that are ambiguous or have multiple meanings. These poems are deliberately ambiguous and hard to understand. bab. Jul 25, 2024 · Expressing Word Formation: Hyphens can denote word formation, particularly in prefixes and suffixes, such as “pre-approval” or “re-evaluate. Drawing on the observation that homonymy and polysemy are relative concepts, it seems that some types of metaphorically motivated polysemy are closer to homonymy. An example of ambiguity in a An example of ambiguity in a sentence is the chicken is ready to eat. The equivocation fallacy refers to the use of an ambiguous word or phrase in more than one The following contributions in this study are as follows: We propose to develop a method to filter a target word (sense required) from multiple ambiguous words with the help of using buzz words and query words using a lexicon of multiple meaning words list MMWL; and Generate a correct sense of target words with the help of buzz words using gloss and examples of target words Abstract. This form of ambiguity is not derived from the varied meanings of individual words but rather from the relationships among words and clauses within a sentence, concealing Morally ambiguous characters appear in many works of literature. See examples of lexical and syntactic ambiguity, puns, irony, and headlines that are ambiguous. Examples "an equivocal response to an embarrassing question" "an equivocal statement" "popularity is an equivocal crown" "the Examples of ambiguous in a sentence. Let this blog post be your trusty guide for teaching diphthongs and Download scientific diagram | Lexically ambiguous math words and sample definitions. Nov 5, 2023 · Learn what ambiguity is and how it affects language, communication, and literature. 2 days ago · Vague words are those that lack specificity and clarity, often leading to ambiguity and misunderstanding. In this sense, ambiguity has Examples of 'ambiguous' in a sentence. For example, unlockable can either be un-lockable (cannot be locked) or unlock-able (can be unlocked). That’s why it’s so important to focus on synonyms that can be preceding the target words were manipulated to bias the participants toward reading the ambiguous words according to their dominant, subordinate, or neutral meanings. The word “ambiguity” is derived from the Latin word ambiguus, which means “uncertainty” or “something that has multiple meanings. These range from ambiguous sentences to ambiguous scenarios or reasoning. It Find 36 different ways to say AMBIGUOUS, along with antonyms, related words, and example sentences at Thesaurus. dracae For example, the word issue is often used to mean “to flow out” in science, but it is used to mean “the topic or problem of focus” in other subject areas. Synonym Discussion of Ambiguous. It contains 50 ambiguous terms with 100 examples of each. The word outstanding is ambiguous, meaning both “exceptional” and “standing outside. For example, homonyms are words that have a single orthographic form but two or more unrelated meanings (e. Priming experiments have shown that recent experience makes such subordinate (less frequent) word Examples "ambiguous words" "frustrated by ambiguous instructions, the parents were unable to assemble the toy" open to two or more interpretations; or of uncertain nature or significance; or (often) intended to mislead. On the other hand, metonymically motivated Disambiguating Highly Ambiguous Words Geoffrey Towell* Siemens Corporate Research Ellen M. Many years ago, the position of teachers was rather ambiguous. If being Oct 10, 2024 · 15 Ambiguity Examples That’ll Amplify Your Writing. from publication: What’s the Difference ? Contributions of Lexical Ambiguity, Reading Comprehension, and Dec 30, 2023 · Example of lexical ambiguity – Word has more than one meaning/category. Syntactic ambiguity occurs when a single sentence or phrase can have many interpretations. These results should It is the precise meaning without any emotional or cultural bias. Listing 52 stories. The act has come under fire due to its ambiguous wording. The sign's ambiguous message led to confusion. For example, in a question sentence like, When a word, phrase, or sentence has more than one meaning, it is ambiguous. 火 星 (huo3xing1) is a homonymous word in Chinese and has two. There are also ambiguous multi-word expressions whose ambiguity cannot be attributed to the ambiguity of any morpheme or word in www. Example: Her intentions were as ambiguous as a shadow Be aware that ambiguous phrases can be interpreted in different ways. In summary, Lexical Ambiguity refers to the situation where a single word or morpheme can have Jul 4, 2024 · Lot of example sentences with the word ambiguous. For example, the word “love” can mean a strong feeling of affection, a great interest or Feb 6, 2024 · How meaning similarity influences ambiguous word processing: the current state of the literature Published online: 3 June 2014 semantic similarity of ambiguous word meanings. Listen to the usage of ambiguous in context. As we mentioned previously, ambiguity is often used by writers in order to get the reader to draw their own conclusion on what the sentence means. . Nov 21, 2023 · An example of lexical ambiguity would be the word plant, as it could either mean something that grows in the ground, or a facility that makes something, such as a power plant. The higher the number of synonyms a word has, the higher the degree of ambiguity. of 78% and Also called semantic ambiguity. Stack Exchange network consists of 183 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, Here Are the Top 10 Positive & Impactful Synonyms for “Ambiguous” Our list of positive & impactful synonyms for “ambiguous” help you expand your vocabulary and enhance both your communication and psychological resilience in several meaningful ways (you can read more about it in the next section). It’s the largest single entry in the Oxford English Dictionary, placing it ahead of set, at 546 meanings. " Examples of Ambiguity in Literature Although ambiguity is taken into consideration a flaw in writing, many writers use this approach to permit readers to understand their works in a whole lot of ways, giving them depth and complexity. They may not be fully aware of what they are voting for because of ambiguous language on the ballot paper. Although words with multiple meanings give English a linguistic richness, they Jun 10, 2024 · Ambiguity examples. D. Which clearly demonstrates our point: ambiguous sentences, or those containing ambiguous words, can totally derail the automatic interpretation of a translation program, with disastrous results. Feb 17, 2021 · Learn what ambiguity is and how it can be used in speech and writing. ” Avoiding Ambiguity: Hyphens help avoid ambiguity and misinterpretation in Download scientific diagram | Lexically ambiguous math words and sample definitions. Example: Your reply to my question was really ambiguous. Linguists and grammarians have extensively investigated these features of language. Ambiguity is often used in humor and wordplay, where the multiple meanings of a word or phrase are exploited to create jokes or puns. They all work towards a single goal: to provide you with rich, high-quality content. Ambiguity occurs when something is open to more than one interpretation. It can lead to confusion or misunderstanding in Dec 31, 2024 · In linguistics, an expression is semantically ambiguous when it can have multiple meanings. Writers work hard to harness the power of this device to incite curiosity and engagement, and they edit fiendishly to Meaning of Ambiguity. , Dec 23, 2024 · Lexical ambiguity refers to the presence of multiple meanings for a single word or phrase. We will now take a look at some of these examples. Can you provide an example of an ambiguous sentence? Sure! 'I saw a man on a hill with a telescope. Print Ambiguous Words | Meaning, Examples & Use Worksheet 1. What are the two readings of (2)? É John told a girl, namely the one that Bill liked, the story. Subjects . Jul 14, 2021 · Let’s explore the definition, types, and examples of ambiguity together. A homonymy is a word that has two And thus the word for these ambiguous statements was born, and examples of crash blossoms began to flood the linguistics blog, Language Log. For example, Ghazala’s (1995 99) study indicates that , p. For example, 2 days ago · The double meanings of some ambiguous statements are meant to make a reader take a harder look at the word or sentence itself. Explore different types of ambiguity, such as semantic, syntactic, and lexical, with examples and explanations. I hope it's These examples have a military marching rhythm to them, but it is possible, with alliteration, assonance and heavier syllables in those unstressed positions, to give the verses a more ambiguous feel, so that they seem to go back and forth more readily between a straight iambic (or trochaic) and a dipodic sound — such as the Hardy poem Steve discusses in his post. word may have multiple definitions or a group of words may partake of more than one grammatical parsing. Ambiguity is possible in literature, ideas, statements, arts, music, and math. use-in-a-sentence. Specifically, we use a sample of corpus usages of the target word as examples of its natural contexts. In the 2nd example this is lean; the first reading and certainly what the guest meant: Without a lot of fat. General information about "ambiguous" example sentences. For instance, the phrase “We saw her duck” might Examples Of Morally Ambiguous In Beowulf; Examples Of Morally Ambiguous In Beowulf. Oct 1, 2012 · For example, the ambiguous word “rabbit” has the literal primary sense “the animal”, and the literal secondary sense “the meat of that animal”. " Dishes can be "virtually spot-free" from a certain dishwashing liquid, but it's possible that they won't be. The words he used in his writing was really ambiguous. Examples include words such as "up to," "can help," "part of" and "virtually. Jul 12, 2019 · Lexical ambiguity is the presence of two or more possible meanings for a single word. In Catcher in the rye written by J D Salinger, we see a good example of Ambiguity is when a word, phrase, or statement can be interpreted in different ways. Example #1: The Catcher inside the Rye (By J. 2104 Words; 9 Pages; Open Document. , are homonyms) or multiple related senses (i. Semantic analysis is essential in many applications like concept similarities [], document Dec 12, 2024 · Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ambiguity. The word ambiguous is another of those words that has a specific meaning in linguistics: it doesn’t just mean that www. 'Bimonthly' is an ambiguous term. It has been Syntactic ambiguity, also known as structural ambiguity, [1] amphiboly, or amphibology, is characterized by the potential for a sentence to yield multiple interpretations due to its ambiguous syntax. See Stump (2001), particularly Chapter 7, for many more examples. Pigsny. For example one of our sources are articles on Wikipedia that are classified as at least Good articles. Ambiguous words or statements lead to vagueness and confusion, and shape the basis for instances of unintentional humor. e. 2 The claims are appropriate for the general meaning of these terms Example: His words were as ambiguous as a riddle in the dark, cryptic and enigmatic. frequencies of the alternative senses of . This agreement is very ambiguous and open to various interpretations. The waiter then referred to the verb to lean. My idea for a gamertag MexicanKiller was not good, because it is AMBIGUOUS whether it means I'm a killer who is Mexican, or if I am someone who kills Mexican. I shall analyze three court cases claimed to contain "ambiguity" or "ambiguous words". See 18 examples of ambiguous situations, statements, and words, and how to avoid or use them effectively. UK WORD ASSOCIATION NORMS . Pro Tip 2/3. See examples of lexical and syntactic ambiguity in everyday life and literature. The present experiment embedded ambiguous Ambiguous definition: open to or having several possible meanings or interpretations;equivocal. Ambiguity in everyday conversation example “The meetings are scheduled biweekly. They are problematic because they can make communication less effective, Air Sound Words: Ultimate Guide with There are several strategies you can use when you encounter ambiguous words in multiple-choice and reading comprehension questions on an exam. There are two types of lexical ambiguities: homonymy and polysemy (Lyons, 1977). But the author of this epic makes his hero a morally ambiguous one, for it seems that with every good, brave, Christian thing he Ambiguity Definition. Don’t speak in such an ambiguous way. la is not responsible for their content. Let us examine a few ambiguity examples in literature. Example: Why did the scarecrow win an award? Because he was outstanding in his field. There are many examples of how Jan 7, 2025 · The context in which an ambiguous word is used often makes it clearer which of the meanings is intended. An additional example of ambiguous humor comes from Shakespeare's Othello: Cassio: Dost thou hear, my honest May 30, 2013 · The verb run has 606 different meanings. Weasel words are prevalent in various forms of communication, especially in advertising and marketing. Pro Tip 3/3. On one hand, she was reluctant to get married and on the other, she wanted to sign a prenup. The results The majority of words in the English language do not correspond to a single meaning, but rather correspond to two or more unrelated meanings (i. All this is possible thanks to the Teaching students about word study concepts that are complicated and well, ambiguous, is difficult. CK 1 1316460 He might say something ambiguous again. Synctactic Ambiguity . The term “biweekly” can mean either every two weeks or twice a week, making this sentence ambiguous. yqmc saxu gtthr pyssy bmmili ffgwz vkmsu hncqnyoaw yfmrlpgi kgyx