amphiboly

/æmˈfɪbəli/

Definitions

1. noun

A grammatical construction or ambiguity in which a single expression has more than one possible interpretation.

“The lawyer pointed out the amphiboly in the contract’s clause to argue it in two different ways.”

2. noun

A figure of speech in which a word or phrase has multiple possible meanings or interpretations.

“The poet used amphiboly to convey the complexity of the human experience through a single sentence.”

Synonyms

  • double entendre
  • equivocation
  • polysemy

Antonyms

  • unambiguity