prevarication Definition
- 1the act of avoiding a direct answer to a question by being deliberately unclear or misleading
- 2a statement that is intentionally vague or ambiguous
Using prevarication: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "prevarication" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
The politician's prevarication on the issue only fueled suspicion.
Example
Her prevarication was so obvious that everyone knew she was lying.
Example
The witness's prevarication made it difficult for the jury to reach a verdict.
prevarication Synonyms and Antonyms
Phrases with prevarication
deliberate distortion or misrepresentation of facts
Example
The prevarication of truth by the defendant's lawyer led to his disbarment.
the act of obstructing or delaying justice by being evasive or uncooperative
Example
The prevarication of justice by the accused led to a mistrial.
the act of neglecting or failing to fulfill one's responsibilities or obligations
Example
The prevarication of duty by the police officer resulted in a tragic outcome.
Origins of prevarication
from Latin 'praevaricatio', meaning 'a stepping aside'
Summary: prevarication in Brief
Prevarication [pri-var-i-key-shuhn] is the act of avoiding a direct answer to a question by being deliberately unclear or misleading. It can also refer to a statement that is intentionally vague or ambiguous. Examples include politicians who prevaricate on issues and witnesses who prevaricate in court. Phrases include 'prevarication of truth,' 'prevarication of justice,' and 'prevarication of duty.' Synonyms include evasion, equivocation, and dodging.
