Meanings
plural amphibologies · alternative amphibologie
- archaiccountablerhetoricuncountableAmphiboly.
[T]he fallacie of Æquivocation and Amphibologie, […] conclude from the ambiguity of ſome vvord, or the ambiguous ſintaxis of many put together.
1646, Thomas Browne, “Of the Nearer and More Immediate Causes of Popular Errours, both in the Wiser, and Common Sort, Misapprehension, Fallacy, or False Distinction, Credulity, Supinity, Adherence unto Antiquitie, Tradition, and Authoritie”, in Pseudodoxia Epidemica: […], London: […] T[homas] H[arper] for Edward Dod, […], →OCLC, 1st book, page 131 more example
In Athens men learn'd […] to resolve a sophisticall argument, and to confound the imposture and amphibologie of words, captiously enterlaced together […]
1603, Michel de Montaigne, translated by John Florio, The Essayes […], London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC
Synonyms & antonyms
nounan ambiguous grammatical construction; e.g., ‘they are flying planes’ can mean either that someone is flying planes or that something is flying planes
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Ancient Greekἀμφιβολία“ambiguity”
- Latinamphibologia
- Frenchamphibologie
- Englishamphibology
From French amphibologie, from late Latin amphibologia, earlier amphibolia, from Ancient Greek ἀμφιβολία (amphibolía, “ambiguity”).
More words from French, Latin, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
amphibology. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/amphibology
“amphibology.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/amphibology. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “amphibology,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/amphibology.
Source: amphibology on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.