Definition of equivocation
: deliberate evasiveness in wording : the use of ambiguous or equivocal language Like any good teacher, he does his best to answer with clarity and minimal equivocation.—
How do you use equivocation?
The applicant seemed to be equivocating when we asked him about his last job. When asked about her tax plan, the candidate didn’t equivocate.
How do you identify equivocation?
Equivocation is the deliberate use of vague or ambiguous language, with the intent of deceiving others or avoiding commitment to a specific stance. For example, when a person is asked a direct yes-or-no question, and gives a vague response that doesn’t answer the question, that person is equivocating.
What is equivocation and why was it used?
Commonly known as “doublespeak,” equivocation (pronounced ee-QUIV-oh-KAY-shun) is the use of vague language to hide one’s meaning or to avoid committing to a point of view. It’s often used by dishonest politicians who want to seem like they agree with everyone.
What does it mean to titillate someone?
Definition of titillate
transitive verb. 1 : to excite pleasurably : arouse by stimulation. 2 : tickle sense 1. intransitive verb. : to act as a stimulant to pleasurable excitement.
Does equivocate mean to lie?
to use equivocal terms in order to deceive, mislead, hedge, etc.; be deliberately ambiguous. SIMILAR WORDS: lie. Derived forms. equivocation (eˌquivoˈcation) noun.
What is Amphiboly in critical thinking?
The fallacy of amphiboly happens when someone uses grammar or punctuation in a way that a statement could be interpreted as having more than one meaning, so it is unclear what is really meant. Other names for the fallacy are the fallacy of ambiguity, misusing ambiguity, and the fallacy of unclearness.
What is an example of false analogy?
A false analogy is a type of informal fallacy. It states that since Item A and Item B both have Quality X in common, they must also have Quality Y in common. For example, say Joan and Mary both drive pickup trucks. Since Joan is a teacher, Mary must also be a teacher. This is flawed reasoning!
What is begging the question example?
“Begging the question” is often used incorrectly when the speaker or writer really means “raising the question.” For example: Jane is an intelligent, insightful, well-educated and personable individual, which begs the question: why does she stay at that dead-end job?
What is faulty analogy?
The fallacy, or false analogy, is an argument based on misleading, superficial, or implausible comparisons. It is also known as a faulty analogy, weak analogy, wrongful comparison, metaphor as argument, and analogical fallacy. The term comes from the Latin word fallacia, meaning “deception, deceit, trick, or artifice”
What is it called when you change an argument?
Description: Attempting to redirect the argument to another issue to which the person doing the redirecting can better respond. While it is similar to the avoiding the issue fallacy, the red herring is a deliberate diversion of attention with the intention of trying to abandon the original argument.
What is an example of a straw man argument?
For example, if someone says “I think that we should give better study guides to students”, a person using a strawman might reply by saying “I think that your idea is bad, because we shouldn’t just give out easy A’s to everyone”.
What is an example of a false cause fallacy?
This fallacy falsely assumes that one event causes another. Often a reader will mistake a time connection for a cause-effect connection. EXAMPLES: Every time I wash my car, it rains. Our garage sale made lots of money before Joan showed up.
How is equivocation used in Macbeth?
Sometimes, equivocations in Macbeth are meant kindly, as when Ross tries to spare Macduff’s feelings by telling him that his wife and son are “well.” Macduff initially takes this to mean that his family is alive and healthy, but Ross means that they are dead and in heaven.
Can a person be titillating?
If something titillates someone, it pleases and excites them, especially in a sexual way.
What do you mean by stimulation?
1 : to excite to activity or growth or to greater activity : animate, arouse. 2a : to function as a physiological stimulus to. b : to arouse or affect by a stimulant (such as a drug) intransitive verb.
What does it mean when someone is saucy?
Definition of saucy
1 : served with or having the consistency of sauce. 2a : impertinently bold and impudent. b : amusingly forward and flippant : irrepressible.