tergiversate
pronunciation
How to pronounce tergiversate in British English:
UK [ˈtɜ:dʒɪvəseɪt]
How to pronounce tergiversate in American English:
US [tərˈdʒɪvərseɪt]
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- Verb:
- be deliberately ambiguous or unclear in order to mislead or withhold information
- abandon one's beliefs or allegiances
Word Origin
- tergiversate (v.)
- 1650s, back-formation from tergiversation, or else from Latin tergiversatus, past participle of tergiversari "be evasive," literally "to turn one's back." Related: Tergiversated; tergiversating.