Prevarication

Pronunciation: /prɪˌvɛrɪˈkeɪʃən/

Definitions of prevarication

noun the act of lying or deviating from the truth

Example Sentences

A1 I don't like prevarication, I prefer honesty.

A2 She was caught in a prevarication when asked about her whereabouts.

B1 His prevarication only made the situation more confusing.

B2 The politician's prevarication was evident in his contradictory statements.

C1 The lawyer accused the witness of prevarication during cross-examination.

C2 The CEO's prevarication in the press conference led to a public relations disaster.

Examples of prevarication in a Sentence

formal The politician's prevarication on the issue only served to further erode public trust.

informal Stop with the prevarication and just tell us the truth already!

slang I can't stand his constant prevarication - just be straight with us!

figurative Her prevarication was like a tangled web of lies that eventually unraveled.

Grammatical Forms of prevarication

• past tense: prevaricated
• plural: prevarications
• comparative: more prevaricative
• superlative: most prevaricative
• present tense: prevaricates
• future tense: will prevaricate
• perfect tense: has prevaricated
• continuous tense: is prevaricating
• singular: prevarication
• positive degree: prevaricative
• infinitive: to prevaricate
• gerund: prevaricating
• participle: prevaricated

Origin and Evolution of prevarication

First Known Use: 1250 year

Language of Origin: Latin

Story behind the word: The word 'prevarication' originated from the Latin word 'praevaricatio', which means to walk crookedly or to straddle. It was later adopted into Old French as 'prevarication' with a similar meaning.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the word 'prevarication' evolved to mean the act of deviating from the truth or speaking misleadingly. It gained a negative connotation associated with deceit and dishonesty.