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Prevarication: meaning, definitions and examples

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prevarication

 

[ prɪˌvarɪˈkeɪʃən ]

Noun
Context #1 | Noun

in communication

The act of avoiding a direct answer or statement, often by being intentionally vague or ambiguous. Prevarication can be used to deceive or mislead others.

Synonyms

dodging, equivocation, evasion.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

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Word Description / Examples
prevarication

Used to describe the act of lying or being intentionally ambiguous to avoid telling the truth. It often has a negative connotation.

  • His prevarication about the project's completion date caused trouble with the clients.
  • She was accused of prevarication when her answers didn’t match up.
evasion

Describes the act of evading, often used in contexts where someone is avoiding something they should confront. It can imply avoidance of responsibilities or hard truths.

  • His evasion of taxes eventually landed him in legal trouble.
  • Her evasion of the question raised suspicions among the reporters.
equivocation

Involves using ambiguous language to conceal the truth or to mislead. Often implies a deliberate attempt to be vague.

  • The politician's equivocation made it hard to understand his real stance on the issue.
  • Her equivocation on the matter made everyone doubt her integrity.
dodging

Refers to the act of avoiding a situation or question, often in a more physical or direct manner. It can have a negative tone depending on the context.

  • He's been dodging my calls all week.
  • She kept dodging his questions about the missing money.

Examples of usage

  • She accused him of prevarication when he refused to give a clear answer.
  • His prevarication only served to further confuse the situation.
Context #2 | Noun

in law

The act of lying or deviating from the truth under oath. Prevarication in court can result in serious legal consequences.

Synonyms

deception, falsehood, perjury.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

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Word Description / Examples
prevarication

Used when someone avoids telling the truth by not directly answering a question or being deliberately ambiguous.

  • His prevarication about the details of the project made everyone suspicious
  • Instead of admitting the mistake, her prevarication only complicated things
perjury

Specifically used in a legal context when someone lies under oath in a court of law.

  • He was convicted of perjury after lying about his whereabouts during the trial
  • Committing perjury can lead to serious legal consequences
falsehood

Describes a statement that is not true, often used in formal or serious contexts.

  • The politician was accused of spreading falsehoods about his opponent
  • Her claim was proven to be a complete falsehood
deception

Applied when someone intentionally lies or tricks others to gain an advantage or hide the truth.

  • The magician's act relied heavily on deception
  • Her deception was discovered when the truth finally came out

Examples of usage

  • The witness's prevarication was exposed during cross-examination.
  • Perjury is a form of prevarication that is punishable by law.

Translations

Translations of the word "prevarication" in other languages:

🇵🇹 prevaricação

🇮🇳 टालमटोल

🇩🇪 Ausflüchte

🇮🇩 penyelewengan

🇺🇦 ухилення від відповіді

🇵🇱 wykręt

🇯🇵 言い逃れ

🇫🇷 équivoque

🇪🇸 evasiva

🇹🇷 kaçamak

🇰🇷 핑계

🇸🇦 مراوغة

🇨🇿 výmluva

🇸🇰 výhovorka

🇨🇳 搪塞

🇸🇮 izgovor

🇮🇸 undank

🇰🇿 сілтеме

🇬🇪 გარიდება

🇦🇿 yayınma

🇲🇽 evasiva

Etymology

The word 'prevarication' originated from the Latin word 'praevaricatio', which means 'a straddling, shuffling'. It first appeared in English in the 16th century. Prevarication is often associated with deception and dishonesty, and has been used in various contexts such as politics, law, and everyday communication.

Word Frequency Rank

This word's position of #33,023 indicates it's among the more rare English words. While understanding it broadens your vocabulary, focus on more common words first.