In a manner that involves speaking or acting in a way that deliberately deviates from the truth; evasively; deceitfully. This adverb describes the act of avoiding the truth, often through indirect language, misleading statements, or outright lies. The intent is usually to deceive or mislead, and the prevarication can range from small white lies to elaborate fabrications. It suggests a deliberate attempt to obscure the facts, often motivated by a desire to avoid responsibility, consequences, or embarrassment. The manner is frequently characterized by ambiguity and a reluctance to give a clear, straightforward answer. It can also denote the act of delaying the truth to make it appear less harmful.
Prevaricatingly meaning with examples
- The politician, when questioned about the campaign's finances, responded prevaricatingly, carefully choosing his words to avoid directly addressing the alleged irregularities and offering only vague reassurances to the concerned public.
- Her prevaricatingly evasive answers during the job interview made the hiring manager suspicious, as she danced around direct questions about her previous employment history and her reasons for leaving.
- The witness, clearly uncomfortable with the line of questioning, spoke prevaricatingly, repeatedly claiming memory lapses and providing convoluted responses designed to obscure the truth about the event.
- Instead of admitting fault, the company chose to issue a statement that prevaricatingly downplayed the severity of the product defect, hoping to avoid a costly recall and maintain consumer confidence.
- The detective observed the suspect’s body language; his shifting eyes and hesitant tone betrayed that he was answering prevaricatingly and attempting to conceal crucial details about his whereabouts that night.