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prevarication. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
prevarication, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
prevarication in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
prevarication you have here. The definition of the word
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English
Etymology
From Anglo-Norman prevaricassion, Middle French prevarication, and their source, Latin praevāricātiō (“collusion with an opponent; transgression; deceit”), from the stem of praevāricor.
Pronunciation
- (non-merged vowel) IPA(key): /pɹɪˌvæɹɪˈkeɪʃən/
- (merged vowel) IPA(key): /pɹɪˌvæɹəˈkeɪʃən/
- Rhymes: -eɪʃən
Noun
prevarication (countable and uncountable, plural prevarications)
- (now rare) Deviation from what is right or correct.
- Synonyms: transgression, perversion
- Evasion of the truth.
- Synonyms: deceit, evasiveness
Prevarication became the order of the day in his government while truth was a stranger in those halls.
1782, William Cowper, “Retirement”, in Poems, London: J Johnson, , →OCLC, page 291:The trumpet—vvill it ſound? the curtain riſe? And ſhow th' auguſt tribunal of the ſkies, / VVhere no prevarication ſhall avail, / VVhere eloquence and artifice ſhall fail, […]
2012 October 6, “Charlemagne: Mysterious Mariano”, in The Economist:Mr Rajoy frustrates many with his prevarication over a fresh euro-zone bail-out, which now comes with a conditional promise from the European Central Bank (ECB) to help bring down Spain’s stifling borrowing costs.
- A secret abuse in the exercise of a public office.
- (Ancient Rome, law, historical) The collusion of an informer with the defendant, for the purpose of making a sham prosecution.
- (law) A false or deceitful seeming to undertake a thing for the purpose of defeating or destroying it.
1628, Robert Le Grys, Argenis, translation of original by John Barclay:If it shall appeare, that they haue forfeited their Faith, or wronged their Client by preuarication.
Translations
deviation from what is right or correct
See also
References
Further reading
Middle French
Noun
prevarication f (plural prevarications)
- prevarication (deviation from what is right)
Descendants