equivocate
General verb
To use ambiguous language so as to conceal the truth or avoid commitment.
When pressed about the budget cuts, the spokesman began to equivocate rather than give a figure.
Medicine verb
To use vague or ambiguous language in order to avoid committing oneself or telling the whole truth.
When explaining the risks, be honest and clear rather than equivocate.
Law verb
To use ambiguous language to conceal one's real position.
Asked directly whether the goods had shipped, the witness continued to equivocate.
Business verb
To use ambiguous language to avoid committing oneself or to conceal the truth.
When pressed on the deadline, the vendor equivocated instead of giving a firm date.
Rarity runs from 0 (a word everyone knows) to 100 (almost never seen outside specialist or literary writing). Level is the word's real difficulty on the CEFR scale, from A1 to C2.
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