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
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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