Prevaricate: meaning, definitions and examples

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prevaricate

[prɪˈvær.ɪ.keɪt ]

Definitions

^{Context #1 | Verb}

in conversation

Prevaricate means to speak or act in an evasive way, often to avoid telling the truth or making a clear decision. It is a form of deception or deceit, where one avoids a direct answer or response.

Synonyms

dodge, equivocate, evade, skirt around.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

Word	Description / Examples
prevaricate	Used when someone is being deliberately vague or lying to avoid the truth. Often has a negative connotation. When asked about the missing funds, the manager began to prevaricate, giving unclear answers
equivocate	Used when someone is speaking ambiguously, often to mislead or avoid committing to a clear stance. Has a negative connotation. The politician tended to equivocate when asked about his stance on controversial issues
evade	Used when someone is avoiding something, such as a question, responsibility, or even the law. Can imply avoidance with intention. He tried to evade the police by hiding in a nearby building
dodge	Used when someone is physically avoiding something or someone, or metaphorically avoiding a question or responsibility. She managed to dodge all the tough questions during the interview by quickly changing the subject
skirt around	Used when someone is avoiding talking directly about a topic, often because it's sensitive or embarrassing. She skirted around the issue of her recent breakup, not wanting to go into detail

Examples of usage

He prevaricated when asked about his involvement in the scandal.
She tends to prevaricate when faced with difficult questions.

^{Context #2 | Verb}

formal writing

Prevaricate can also mean to stray away from the truth or deviate from the right path. It implies a deliberate attempt to mislead or deceive, often by using ambiguous or misleading language.

Synonyms

deceive, fabricate, fudge, mislead.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

Word	Description / Examples
prevaricate	Used when someone is avoiding telling the truth by being vague or ambiguous. When asked about the company's safety record, the spokesperson tended to prevaricate. He seemed to prevaricate when facing difficult questions.
mislead	Used when someone is giving the wrong idea or impression, often intentionally. This can have a negative connotation. The advertisement misled consumers into thinking the product was new. His vague language was meant to mislead the audience.
deceive	Used when someone is intentionally causing someone to believe something that is not true. This often has a negative connotation. She tried to deceive her parents by forging their signatures. The con artist deceived many people into investing in the fake company.
fabricate	Used when someone is making up something that is not true, often a story or an excuse. He fabricated an excuse about being stuck in traffic. The journalist was caught fabricating parts of the story.
fudge	Used when someone is deliberately changing or manipulating facts slightly to avoid a clear answer or to cheat, often on a small scale. Can also be used to describe avoiding giving a direct answer to a question. He tried to fudge the numbers to make his performance look better. When asked about the budget cuts, she fudged the answer to avoid controversy.

Examples of usage

The witness was caught prevaricating during the cross-examination.
Some politicians are known to prevaricate to avoid taking a clear stance on controversial issues.

Interesting Facts

Etymology

Originates from the Latin word 'prevaricari,' which means 'to twist about' or 'to straddle,' reflecting the idea of twisting the truth.
First recorded use in English dates back to the early 17th century, indicating long-standing usage in formal contexts.
The related term 'varicate' means to vary, hinting at changing one’s statements.

Psychology

Studies show that people often prevaricate to avoid conflict or maintain social harmony in group settings.
Cognitive dissonance can lead individuals to prevaricate when their beliefs do not align with their actions.
Research indicates that habitual liars may become increasingly detached from reality, complicating their ability to perceive truth.

Literature

In classic tales, characters who prevaricate often find themselves caught in webs of deception, illustrating moral lessons about honesty.
The term is frequently used in satire and poetry to criticize politicians and leaders who evade frankness.
Notable works, such as George Orwell's '1984,' feature characters who prevaricate to survive oppressive regimes.

Pop Culture

In various TV shows, characters are often portrayed as prevaricators, typically leading to humorous or dramatic misunderstandings.
Political drama series frequently depict leaders prevaricating during press conferences, a reflection of real-world scenarios.
Movies often feature protagonists who must navigate around prevaricating friends to uncover the truth.

Law

Legal professionals may prevaricate to negotiate terms or avoid revealing certain truths during litigation.
Witnesses in court are often cautioned against prevarication, as it can lead to serious repercussions like perjury charges.
In legal jargon, prevaricating can diminish one's credibility and affect the outcome of a case.

Translations

Translations of the word "prevaricate" in other languages:

🇵🇹 prevaricar

🇮🇳 टालमटोल करना

🇩🇪 ausweichen

🇮🇩 menghindar

🇺🇦 ухилятися від відповіді

🇵🇱 wykręcać się

🇯🇵 言葉を濁す

🇫🇷 éluder

🇪🇸 prevaricar

🇹🇷 gevelemek

🇰🇷 얼버무리다

🇸🇦 راوغ

🇨🇿 vykrucovat se

🇸🇰 vykrúcať sa

🇨🇳 支吾其词

🇸🇮 izogibati se odgovoru

🇮🇸 forðast svar

🇰🇿 жалтару

🇬🇪 თავიდან აცილება

🇦🇿 yayınmaq

🇲🇽 prevaricar

Word Frequency Rank

Ranking #37,530, this word is encountered relatively rarely in everyday English. It might appear in literary works or specialized texts but isn't essential for general communication.

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37527 boggle
37528 laic
37529 slimness
37530 prevaricate
37531 helipad
37532 hoodoo
37533 wiggly
...