Ambiguity
Exploiting a word or sentence that can be read more than one way to mislead or evade.
- informal
The fallacy of ambiguity (including amphiboly, where the double meaning comes from sentence structure rather than a single word) leans on a phrase open to multiple interpretations to draw an unwarranted conclusion or dodge commitment — relying on the unclear reading instead of resolving it. Unlike equivocation, no single term is swapped between senses; the whole statement is left fuzzy.
Examples
- Spokesperson: “I said we'd ‘look into raises for everyone’ — I never actually promised anyone a raise.”
- “The contract says I'll be paid ‘weekly, on completion of work’ — so they claim nothing is owed until the entire job is done.”
Why it works & how to counter
Persuasive because each side simply hears the reading that suits them. Counter it by asking for the ambiguous word or sentence to be restated precisely before accepting any claim built on it.