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==Etymology==
[[Latin]] ambiguus, from ambigere to be undecided, from ambi- + agere to drive
*Date: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/15th_Century 1528]
==Definitions==
*1 a : [[doubt]]ful or uncertain especially from obscurity or indistinctness <eyes of an ambiguous [[color]]>
:b : [[Mystery|inexplicable]]
*2 : capable of being [[understood]] in two or more possible [[senses]] or ways <an ambiguous smile> <an ambiguous term> <a deliberately ambiguous reply>
==Description==
'''Ambiguity''' is the property of being ambiguous, where a [[word]], term, notation, sign, [[symbol]], phrase, sentence, or any other form used for [[communication]], is called ambiguous if it can be [[interpreted]] in more than one way. Ambiguity is [[different]] from vagueness, which arises when the boundaries of [[meaning]] are indistinct. Ambiguity is [[context]]-dependent: the same [[linguistic]] item (be it a word, phrase, or sentence) may be ambiguous in one context and unambiguous in another context. For a word, ambiguity typically refers to an unclear [[choice]] between different definitions as may be found in a dictionary. A sentence may be ambiguous due to different ways of parsing the same sequence of [[words]].
[[Category: General Reference]]
[[Category: Languages and Literature]]