Ambiguousness

Ambiguousness refers to the quality of being open to more than one interpretation; inexactness; uncertainty. It describes situations, statements, or expressions that lack clarity and can be understood in multiple ways, leading to potential confusion or doubt. This lack of precision stems from vagueness in wording, unclear context, or the presence of multiple possible meanings for words or phrases. The degree of ambiguity can range from a slight vagueness to a complete obscurity, making it challenging to determine the intended meaning or course of action with certainty.

Ambiguousness meaning with examples

• The contract's ambiguousness regarding payment terms led to a dispute between the company and the supplier. Both sides had different interpretations of the clause, resulting in costly legal proceedings. Clearer language from the start could have prevented the whole issue from happening, as nobody knew the truth and were just taking stabs at the correct meaning.
• The politician's response was veiled in ambiguousness, avoiding direct answers to probing questions about his finances. The lack of specifics allowed him to deflect criticism while fueling speculation from both his supporters and the opposing party. Without clear answers, it left the people with many questions and not a lot of answers.
• The poem’s beauty lay in its deliberate ambiguousness, allowing readers to derive their own interpretations and find personal connections to the themes of love and loss. This ability to be looked at and felt differently is one of the major reasons this is done, in order to cause a deep thought.
• The map's ambiguousness regarding the hiking trail's route caused several hikers to get lost in the wilderness. The lack of detail and clear markers created confusion and put them at risk. It proved that clear planning is absolutely necessary to reduce these scenarios, and could have cost them their lives.
• The instructions for assembling the furniture contained a great degree of ambiguousness, making it difficult for the customer to put the pieces together correctly. The pictures were also vague, leaving people guessing and resorting to the use of brute force to fix things which were probably fine.