Questions tagged [ambiguity]
This tag is for questions about words or phrases that have multiple meanings and can thus be understood in different ways. If your question is about different words that can be easily mixed up or confused use the tag CONFUSABLES instead.
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Is this a poorly constructed sentence? [closed]
"George Santos became the sixth member of Congress to be expelled from the House of Representatives on Friday." Time.com DECEMBER 1, 2023
The way that sentence reads does it suggest that on ...
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Meaning of "How many Euros can be exchanged for 5 USD?"
Take the question How many euros can be exchanged for 5 USD?
I see two possible meanings:
It's asking about the amount of Euros that we must exchange to exchange to get 5 USD
It's asking about the ...
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How to distinguish these two senses of characteristic or attribute?
There are two different senses in which we use the word "attribute"; for example, I can describe someone as "blond", which is a hair color. We say "blond" is a ...
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"you get A instead of B, as with C", then who goes with C?
In Shane Cook's book CUDA Programming 2012, page 87, there is such a sentence:
As a consequence you get two transactions instead of one, as with the stripe layout.
The author talks about two kind of ...
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We know how expensive we are
We know how expensive we are.
I cannot for the life of me decide if this is supposed to be interpreted as a complement clause or an embedded question or what.
My thought process so far is that it ...
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Does "assess the use of two strategies by this business as an effective strategy" mean that both strategies have to be effective, or is it ambiguous?
I am currently discussing with someone whether this question means one or two things.
The question is as follows:
With reference to a business you have studied, assess the use of two strategies by ...
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How to detach a noun modifier so it clearly stays a modifier?
A noun modifier is a noun as an attribute of an other noun, like the “edge” in “edge case”. If the modifier is an adjective, it may be detached from a main noun. If the modifier is a noun, I think ...
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How do you avoid ambiguity without using multiple possessive nouns when using relative structures?
I'm writing some research that involves explaining some relational data structures. I frequently find it very difficult to remove ambiguity from the sentences I am trying to write. For example, the ...
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Does a suffix need to be an affix?
I understand that according to Collins Dictionary, a suffix is an affix that follows the stem to which it is attached, as for example -s and -ness in dogs and softness. It has, however, a second ...
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Why use "modeless" as the opposite of "modal" in UI design? [closed]
"Modeless" is widely used which is not in the dictionary such as "Modal and Modeless Dialog Boxes". Why they do not use "modaless"?
If "Modal" is the adjective ...
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Is there a name for this "or" ambiguity?
Consider the following sentence, paying particular attention to how the word "or" functions:
These days, kids begin participating in sports at as young as three years old, among the most ...
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Which is correct? brrr v brr v brrrrr [closed]
I have come across brrr and brr - which is someone indicating that they are cold.
So which spelling is correct?
Or can you be REALLY cold - BRRRRRR! Interjections! Aha!
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Possessive determiners, ambiguous references, and the question of the relevance of context [duplicate]
I know there are some threads and websites on the topic but unfortunately I continue to wonder about the issue of possessive determiners and ambiguous references.
Two examples:
1: Sabine, the new ...
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Is this an ambiguous use of "prior to" to convey logical precedence? [closed]
Consider the following sentence:
Volcanic eruptions could not account for the high rate of the global collapse of ecosystems prior to the K-T extinction event.
The usage of "prior to" is ...
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"Export settings" disambiguation and meaning
"Export settings" disambiguation and meaning.
The aforementioned quotation is ambiguous. As I see it, it could mean either of the following:
Export (verb) settings ---> Action of ...
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Disambiguation: "agree to an appointment within 24 hours" [duplicate]
Was taking some work notes, and the line:
He goes M.I.A. when I don’t agree to an appointment within 24 hours
Gave me pause. It could mean either:
He goes M.I.A. after 24 hours since I didn't get ...
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"a to b" vs "a through b" [duplicate]
Is there a fundamental difference between 'a to b' and 'a through b'? In my specific case, 'a' and 'b' are dates.
Is one inclusive of 'b' and the other ... not inclusive? Ambiguous?
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Is this phrase ambiguous "up to 15 mins prior to"? [duplicate]
I came across this sentence.
"Click here to visit the event page and select 'Join now' up to 15 minutes prior to start time."
What does that really mean? That we should join in the last 15 ...
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Gemination of plosives in final positions following a consonant
Whenever a plosive like p,t,k follows a consonant in the final position, it is always released or else it can't be heard at all. For example: lamp, act, thank, etc. Yet in the word lamppost, the first ...
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Is the meaning of "Either latitude or longitude needs to be provided!" exclusive or inclusive?
The error message for a computer dialogue box reads as follows:
Either latitude or longitude need to be provided!
(mistakenly using the incorrect need in the plural for singular needs)
Does this ...
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512
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Algebraic interpretation of ambiguous verbal expressions [closed]
I am helping my daughter with Algebra. She has been asked to generate algebraic expressions for each of the following verbal statements:
"Five times the quantity of x squared plus m, minus two ...
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Is it correct to say something like "An issue is being had by them"
One can say "We're having this issue". But is it too awkward to, instead, say "This issue is being had by us", or would the meaning change completely?
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with something to recommend it
I'm reading an Economist report on mending an algorithm-related law called Section 230 and the last sentence (the part in bold, to be specific) confuses me a bit:
When platforms “alert specific users”...
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What does "regularly" refer to in this?
Can anyone help me find out what "regularly" modifies in the following excerpt? (My emphasis)
If we heard that an alien species had a word that could be meaningfully used to describe things ...
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Speed Checked By Radar: Synhermeneia?
Is there a word to describe an ambiguous phrase whose alternate meanings all happen to be relevant and true in the context?
The example that fascinates me is the road sign "Speed Checked By Radar&...
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Does the question "when did Alice tell you she would go?" ask about the date the plans were talked about or when she plans to go?
Here is the situation:
Alice told Bob on Monday that she would go to the zoo on Friday.
Now, if I ask Bob: "Hey Bob, when did Alice tell you she would go to the zoo?"
Will Bob answer Monday ...
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What is the difference between "I have three people in my family" vs "I have three people in my household"? [closed]
What is the difference between "I have three people in my family, my wife and our son" vs "I have three people in my household, my wife and our son" ?
Does "in the my ...
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The activity starts next week or starts from next week?
Which one is correct, the activity starts next week or starts from next week? And why?
Longman Dictionary has this entry for 'start' in this sense:
intransitive, transitive: to begin happening, or to ...
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526
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What is the term for this sort of ambiguity? [duplicate]
"Scientists discover emperor penguin colony in Antarctica using satellite images"
This is the title of an article in the Guardian newspaper today.
There must be some clever penguins down ...
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Meaning of words "bake" and "painting" in context of cars
A sticker near the door inside a car said:
Exposing a battery to intense heat may cause deterioration. Do not
bake over 158F/30min or 176F/20 min in painting.
I understand the first sentence, ...
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Words attaining different meanings [duplicate]
If jail and prison are (at least nearly) synonymous, why does jailer refer to the captor, and prisoner refer to the captive? Are there similar examples?
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Using "task force" in an international academic context
I am currently setting up a working group within an international scientific association. The working group gathers American, Japanese, Chinese, New Zealander, and a few European research fellows.
I ...
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What is the name of the ambiguity in "he loves a woman"?
What Are Scope Ambiguities? has the example
Every man loves a woman.
And says that it is scopally ambiguous because these two possible readings exist:
"for every man, there is a woman, and it'...
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Answers to a negative statement that then ends in ", right?"
There are lots of answers here on how to answer to negative questions like "Don't you ...?", e.g. How to answer a negative question without ambiguity?. But I am not sure about answers to a ...
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Ambiguous meaning for a comma?
I saw the following on a bottle of soy sauce, and don't know if it could be interpreted multiple ways:
No artificial colour, flavour added
The question is if flavour is added or not.
The comma could ...
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A groups of reviews - „assessment“ vs „evaluation“
I'm looking for the nuanced difference in meaning of words: „assessment“, „evaluation“ and „review“ - in the specific context of „reviewing“ various products.
As far as I understand, the main ...
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'that' vs. 'which'/'who' when multiple noun phrases are involved
The sentences at issue are:
"The company required a way to showcase their product line and its benefits that can not be typically highlighted in a traditional TV commercial."
"He ...
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Is there a term for sentences that are hopelessly and often humorously ambiguous? (e.g. "Squad helps dog bite victim") Are there algorithms for them?
The humorous 1980 book titled Squad Helps Dog Bite Victim and Other Flubs from teh Nation's Press (AbeBooks, Goodreads)1 recently came to mind after seeing the headline
Shocking video shows Chinese ...
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Ambiguity of "I'm contacting you as <role>" [duplicate]
Yesterday I had to write an email to my organization's (say) Chief Poodle Liaison. There are many Chief Liaisons for various breeds, but only one responsible for poodles. And the given person has a ...
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Usage of " at the expense of"
I am reading the poem The Latest Decalogue by Arthur Hugh Clough.
I can't understand the meaning of this line:
Thou shalt have one God only; who / Would be at the expense of two?
Is he saying that ...
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Why is "AT a restaurant" in the following sentence wrong? [closed]
So I'm using English for Everyone Practice Book Level 4 Advanced and on page 154, we are asked to Mark the sentence which is correct out of two options.
The two options are:
It was at a restaurant in ...
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How to make it clear that there is no pun when using "irrational fear" in the subject of mathematics [closed]
Suppose I am writing to an audience of mathematics teachers, and I want very much to tell them that "I initially had an irrational fear of" a certain subject in mathematics.
But in that ...
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Looking for a term that is ambiguous whether it's singular or plural of person
I'm looking for a word or term that makes it ambiguous whether it's singular or plural person. Preferably I'd like it imply singular with it leaving room for plural, but I can settle for just being ...
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What is the difference between antonyms and negations?
Merriam Webster defines antonyms as :
a word of opposite meaning.
However, I cannot understand what does opposite in the definition mean . Does it mean a negation ? For example, negation of to teach ...
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How would "rather" or "quite" be placed in difficulty levels?
I'm running a Sudoku website (see the link in my profile) and I set the difficulty levels as such:
Very Easy
Easy
Quite Easy
Medium
Quite Hard
Hard
Very Hard
and then those beyond the usual ...
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Ambiguity of adverbials
For this sentence:
People in my group are willing to share what they learn not only at work but also off work.
I want not only at work but also off work to modify learn instead of share.
How to ...
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What is the meaning of "campaigner" in The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes?
I am quoting from The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, The Final Problem by Arthur Conan Doyle:
"Because you will find me a dangerous companion now. This man's occupation is gone. He is lost if he ...
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Is the engineering definition of redundancy commonly understood
In writing for non-technical people (C-suite, Board of Directors etc.), is it more likely this audience would understand redundancy to mean additional components to take over for failed components or ...
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Meaning of "it will take for granted that you always took it for granted"
I am reading William Empson's "Seven Types of Ambiguity", and I have difficulty with the following passage, especially with the part in bold and the preceding sentences.
A single word,
...
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Question about ambiguity of possessives [closed]
per say X is an attribute or part of the Ys, if I want to say
"my X is bigger than all of your Ys combined "
how do I make sure they do not misunderstand that I meant
"my X is bigger ...
