Ambiguous means having more than one possible meaning, making it unclear which interpretation is correct. When your friend texts “See you tomorrow” but you're not sure if they mean before school or after soccer practice, their message is ambiguous.

An ambiguous statement leaves you guessing. If a teacher announces “Bring something interesting next week,” that's pretty ambiguous: Does she mean Monday or Friday? Something you made or something you found? Students might puzzle over what she really wants. The opposite of ambiguous is clear, specific, or unambiguous.

Instructions can be ambiguous too. Imagine a recipe that says “add sugar to taste.” How much is that? A pinch? A cup? The phrase leaves room for interpretation. Sometimes people are ambiguous on purpose, like a politician who gives vague answers to avoid committing to a position. Other times, ambiguity happens accidentally when someone doesn't realize their words could be understood in more than one way.

The related noun is ambiguity: “There's ambiguity in these directions.” When you encounter ambiguity, the solution is usually to ask clarifying questions until you understand exactly what's meant.