prevarication
3
9.9
- noun
- /prɪˌvɛrɪˈkeɪʃən/
- Formal
:
prevaricación
- The politician's answer was full of prevarication, leaving the voters confused about his real stance.
- prevarication and delay
Examples
-
Plus, the content was full of half-truths and outright prevarication.
Blog text (15) -
Let me begin by confessing some prevarication.
Fiction book (1998) -
- All this is prevarication!
-
However, men like me don't deal in prevarication, Prime Minister, so let me get straight to the point.
-
But yeah, without any further prevarication, let's jump into Thermopylae.
-
I blush to admit that I may have occasionally been guilty of this prevarication myself.
Academic text (2006) -
The suit, however, was quickly swamped in drifts of prevarication and delay.
Fiction book (1993) -
In answer to my blog reader, I can say honestly, truthfully, and without a shadow of prevarication...
Blog text (8) -
For a lesser filmmaker, the prevarications in Lincoln would be disastrous.
Blog text (16) -
Sharett was incensed when he received the refusal on June 7 and claimed it had all been a "new effrontery and Syrian efforts at prevarication and deceit."
Academic text (2016)
Synonyms
46
5.8
A report or statement that gives a false picture of the truth
25
7.5
A statement that gives false information about something
16
6.7
A statement that is partly true but leaves out important facts to mislead
12
6.6
An indirect statement that hides an unpleasant truth
9
7.1
An action or statement that hides the real reason behind something
9
7.5
A statement that avoids giving a clear answer
9
9.9
Using unclear language to hide the truth and avoid giving a clear answer
8
6.1
A clever trick used to avoid answering a question
6
9.0
Confusing speech that hides the truth, often to avoid a direct answer
6
9.3
Language that hides the truth by using vague or confusing words
3
8.8
A way of hiding the truth by pretending to be less involved
3
7.4
Avoiding giving a direct answer so people do not know what you really think
3
9.9
Hiding your true feelings or intentions by pretending
1
7.0
Saying things that are not true on purpose
To give vague answers on purpose to hide the truth
Making vague statements to avoid giving a direct answer
Antonyms
How Direct
Surface Forms
Etymology
Prevarication comes from a Latin idea meaning 'to walk crooked', from prevaricare, which gives the image of leaving the straight path. So prevarication means avoiding the clear truth—like 'bending' your words instead of speaking straight.