Ambiguous vs. ambivalent: What's the difference?
Both are adjectives that derive from the Latin prefix ambi-(meaning both), but are ambiguous and ambivalent the same?
Definitions: ambiguous/ambivalent
Saying something is ambiguous means it's unclear, vague, or “capable of being understood in two or more possible senses or ways” (Merriam-Webster).
To be ambivalent towards something means “having simultaneous conflicting feelings or contradictory ideas” (Etymonline).
The distinction is clearer in application:
Her account of the event was deliberately ambiguous.
She seems to feel ambivalent about her new job.
There you have it—ambiguous is similar in meaning to words like cryptic, hazy, or vague, and generally tends to describe situations rather than personal feelings.
Ambivalent, by contrast, is closer in meaning to uncertain, mixed, or hesitant, and usually relates to emotions.
Sentence examples: ambiguous/ambivalent
| Word choice | Example sentences |
|---|---|
| ambiguous / ambivalent | |
| ambiguous |
The paragraph is rendered ambiguous by the writer's careless use of pronouns. It is for the jury to decide what the ambiguous statement meant. His role in the company has always been ambiguous glance. |
| ambivalent |
His attitude towards her is highly ambivalent. Some loved her, some hated her, few were ambivalent about her. They're still ambivalent on the move to the suburbs. |
Quotes from the media & literature
A Canadian musician who..presented herself as a sexually ambiguous performance artist.
They became deeply ambiguous men, who looked at the world with two faces.
The term ‘eugenicist’ was highly ambiguous and used to describe a myriad of conflicting aims.
The effects of technology on my own life..were something about which I was profoundly ambivalent.
Daniel Coleman grew up with an ambivalent relationship to the country of his birth.
Synonyms & nearby words
Synonyms for ambiguous
Synonyms for ambivalent
Word origin
“Of doubtful or uncertain nature, open to various interpretations,” 1520s, from Latin ambiguus “having double meaning, shifting, changeable, doubtful,” an adjective derived from ambigere.
“Having simultaneous conflicting feelings or contradictory ideas about something,” 1916, originally a term in psychology; a back-formation from ambivalence. In general use by 1929.
Practice: ambiguous vs. ambivalent
The instructions were so ______ that nobody was sure what to do.
She experienced a sense of ______ about moving to a new city—she was excited but also sad to leave her friends.
His answer was so full of ______ that nobody knew exactly what he meant.
She was ______ about the decision, feeling both excitement and fear.
The message was left intentionally ______ so the recipient could interpret it however they wished.
FAQs
Are ambiguous & ambivalent the same?
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What does ambiguous mean?
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What does ambivalent mean?
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Can ambiguous describe feelings?
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Can ambivalent describe situations?
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Sources
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“Equivocal, Adj. & N.” Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford UP, December 2024, https://doi.org/10.1093/OED/1448108368.
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