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Ambiguity is the type of meaning in which a phrase, statement, or resolution is not explicitly defined, making for several interpretations; ...
The higher the number of synonyms a word has, the higher the degree of ambiguity. [1] Like other kinds of ambiguity, semantic ambiguities are often clarified by context or by prosody. One's comprehension of a sentence in which a semantically ambiguous word is used is strongly influenced by the general structure of the sentence. [2]
The ambiguity arises because the reader may not be certain as to which definition is intended by the editor. In such cases, always provide sufficient context or explanation to make it clear to any reader which definition is intended. In some cases wording can be ambiguous although the words are not.
Ambiguity tolerance–intolerance was formally introduced in 1949 through an article published by Else Frenkel-Brunswik, who developed the concept in earlier work on ethnocentrism in children [3] In the article which defines the term, she considers, among other evidence, a study of schoolchildren who exhibit prejudice as the basis for the existence of intolerance of ambiguity.
In addition, the sentence contains semantic ambiguity. For instance, the noun phrase "Time flies" could refer to all time flies or particular time flies, and "an arrow" to all arrows, a particular arrow, or different arrows for different flies; compare "Fruit flies like a banana", "Fruit flies ate a banana", "Fruit flies live on a banana".
References on English usage strongly criticize the phrase as "ugly" [2] and "Janus-faced". [4] William Strunk, Jr., and E.B. White, in their classic The Elements of Style–recognized by Time one of the 100 best and most influential non-fiction books written in English since 1923, [6] say and/or is "A device, or shortcut, that damages a sentence and often leads to confusion or ambiguity". [3]
Syntactic ambiguity, also known as structural ambiguity, [1] amphiboly, or amphibology, is characterized by the potential for a sentence to yield multiple interpretations due to its ambiguous syntax. This form of ambiguity is not derived from the varied meanings of individual words but rather from the relationships among words and clauses ...
Ambiguity is uncertainty as to intended meaning. It is the quality of being open to more than one interpretation; inexactness. Ambiguity may also refer to: Ambiguity; Ambiguity (horse), 20th-century racer; Ambiguity (law), contract law situation; Ambiguous name, botanical taxonomy situation