The word 'ambiguous' most nearly means which option?

The word 'ambiguous' most nearly means which option?

• A. Clear
• B. Uncertain
• C. Loud
• D. Legal

Answer: (B)

Ambiguous describes something that isn’t clear and can be understood in more than one way. That’s why the best match among the options is the one that conveys uncertainty about the meaning. When something is ambiguous, you can’t be sure what is meant because there are multiple possible interpretations. For example, a statement like “I’ll meet you by the bank” could mean a riverbank or a financial institution, so its meaning is not certain. The idea of being clear is the opposite of ambiguous—something clear is easy to understand. Loud has to do with sound, and legal relates to law, neither of which addresses how well something is understood.

Ambiguous describes something that isn’t clear and can be understood in more than one way. That’s why the best match among the options is the one that conveys uncertainty about the meaning. When something is ambiguous, you can’t be sure what is meant because there are multiple possible interpretations. For example, a statement like “I’ll meet you by the bank” could mean a riverbank or a financial institution, so its meaning is not certain. The idea of being clear is the opposite of ambiguous—something clear is easy to understand. Loud has to do with sound, and legal relates to law, neither of which addresses how well something is understood.