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tergiversate. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
tergiversate, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
tergiversate in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
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English
Etymology
From Latin tergiversor (“to evade, to avoid, to turn one's back on”) + -ate (verb-forming suffix), from tergum (“back, hind”) + versō (“to turn”) + -or. Compare French tergiverser.
Pronunciation
Verb
tergiversate (third-person singular simple present tergiversates, present participle tergiversating, simple past and past participle tergiversated)
- (intransitive) To evade, to equivocate using subterfuge; to obfuscate in a deliberate manner.
1999, Philip McCutchan, Werner Levi, The Hoof, →ISBN, page 18:The officials soon concluded that the easiest way to remain on good terms with the court was to elude responsibility, to tergiversate, to prevent results.
- (intransitive) To change sides or affiliation; to apostatize.
2002, Colin Morris, Peter Roberts, chapter 8, in Pilgrimage: The English Experience from Becket to Bunyan, →ISBN, page 221:Henry had hesitated before authorising the spoliation; he would soon tergiversate on other matters of doctrine but this act was irreversible.
- (intransitive, rare) To flee by turning one's back.
Synonyms
Translations
to evade, to equivocate using subterfuge; to deliberately obfuscate
to change sides or affiliation; to apostatize
Translations to be checked
References
Italian
Etymology 1
Verb
tergiversate
- inflection of tergiversare:
- second-person plural present indicative
- second-person plural imperative
Etymology 2
Participle
tergiversate f pl
- feminine plural of tergiversato
Anagrams
Latin
Participle
tergiversāte
- vocative masculine singular of tergiversātus
Spanish
Verb
tergiversate
- second-person singular voseo imperative of tergiversar combined with te