Standard Lemma guide

tergiversation

noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • General-American: /tɝd͡ʒɪvɚˈseɪʃən/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /tɜːd͡ʒɪvəˈseɪʃən/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -eɪʃən

1

noun

Meaning 1

The act of abandoning something or someone, of changing sides; desertion; betrayal.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: perfidy, prodition, betrayal, breach of promise, breach of trust, double-dealing, Judas kiss, perfidiousness, Punic faith, stab in the back, swike, tergiversation, traitory, treacherousness, treachery, treason

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The act of evading any clear course of action or speech, of being deliberately ambiguous; equivocation; fickleness.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

the act of abandoning a party for cause

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: apostasy

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: abandonment, forsaking, desertion

4

noun

Meaning 4

falsification by means of vague or ambiguous language

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: equivocation

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: falsification, misrepresentation

History

Etymology

From Latin tergiversātiō, from tergiversārī (“to turn one's back, to evade, to avoid”) + -tiō (“-tion: forming abstract nouns”). Equivalent to tergiversate + -ion.

Across languages

Translations

11 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: отстъпничество (otstǎpničestvo) — act of abandoning, changing sides
  • Finnish: takinkääntö — act of abandoning, changing sides
  • Macedonian: отста́пништво (otstápništvo) — act of abandoning, changing sides
  • Macedonian: отстапу́вање (otstapúvanje) — act of abandoning, changing sides
  • Bulgarian: увъртане (uvǎrtane) — act of evading clear course
  • Finnish: kiertely — act of evading clear course
  • Finnish: kaartelu — act of evading clear course
  • Macedonian: вр́тење (vŕtenje) — act of evading clear course
  • Portuguese: tergiversação — act of evading clear course
  • Romanian: tergiversare — act of evading clear course
  • Spanish: tergiversación — act of evading clear course