What does ambivalence mean?
Ambivalence is the condition of experiencing two contradictory feelings or attitudes at the same time toward the same thing — loving and resenting a parent, craving and fearing change, admiring and distrusting a colleague. The term was introduced into English in the early twentieth century by the Swiss psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler, who used it clinically to describe the oscillation between opposite emotional responses observed in certain mental illnesses; it quickly broadened into everyday language to describe any state of mixed or divided feeling. Unlike simple indecision, which concerns choices among options, ambivalence concerns the coexistence of opposing emotions within one attitude. It is a noun, typically used in formal writing, psychology, and literature, and its adjective form is 'ambivalent'. Far from being a flaw, ambivalence is often treated in modern thought as an honest and even mature recognition that human attitudes are rarely simple — most people hold genuinely mixed feelings about work, family, ambition, and home.
nounThe state of having simultaneous, often conflicting feelings or attitudes toward the same person, object, or idea; coexistence of opposing emotions such as attraction and repulsion.
- The psychological state of holding simultaneous and often contradictory feelings, attitudes, or desires toward the same object, person, or situation.
- (In psychiatry/psychology) A clinical symptom or trait involving oscillation between opposing emotional responses, notably described in early twentieth-century psychiatric literature.
"She felt a deep ambivalence about accepting the promotion — thrilled by the opportunity yet reluctant to leave her team."
"His ambivalence about moving abroad kept him refreshing the airline's website without ever booking a flight."
"The novel captures the protagonist's ambivalence toward her hometown with painful precision — nostalgia and resentment intertwined on every page."
The word 'ambivalence' was coined by a Swiss psychiatrist in 1910 to describe patients torn between love and hate — and it proved so useful that it escaped the clinic and became part of everyday language.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of ambivalence
Ambivalence derives from Latin roots: 'ambi-', meaning 'on both sides' or 'around', combined with '-valentia', from 'valere', meaning 'to be strong'. It was coined in German ('Ambivalenz') by the Swiss psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler around 1910 as a technical term for the simultaneous presence of opposing emotional impulses, and entered English shortly afterward. It shares its Latin ancestry with words such as 'ambidextrous' (using both hands equally) and with terms built on 'valere', such as 'valence' and 'equivalent'.
Related word forms
How ambivalence is actually used
Ambivalence is a formal or literary word, common in psychology, sociology, and serious prose rather than casual conversation. It carries no inherent negative connotation — it simply describes a genuine inner conflict, though speakers sometimes use it pejoratively to imply indecisiveness. It is almost always used as an abstract noun describing a state, not a passing mood.
Easily confused with ambivalence
Ambiguity refers to something having multiple possible meanings or interpretations, whereas ambivalence refers to a person holding simultaneous contradictory feelings or attitudes.