What does ambivalency mean?
Ambivalency is a noun describing the condition of experiencing two contradictory emotions, desires, or attitudes at the same time — for example, feeling affection and resentment toward the same person, or wanting and fearing the same outcome. It is functionally equivalent to the much more common term ambivalence, from which it differs mainly in rarity rather than meaning. The word derives from the Latin roots ambi-, meaning 'both' or 'around', and valere, meaning 'to be strong', reflecting the idea of opposing forces pulling with equal weight. Because both feelings are held genuinely and simultaneously, ambivalency differs from simple indecision: it is not uncertainty about which feeling is real, but the coexistence of two real, opposed feelings. Writers occasionally choose ambivalency for stylistic variety, but in modern usage ambivalence remains the standard form.
nounThe state or quality of having simultaneous, conflicting feelings or attitudes toward the same person, object, or idea; a less common synonym of ambivalence.
- The psychological state of holding contradictory feelings or attitudes toward the same object, person, or situation simultaneously.
"Her ambivalency about leaving her hometown made the decision drag on for months."
"His ambivalency toward his new promotion left him celebrating and dreading it in the same breath."
"The therapist noted the patient's deep ambivalency about ending the relationship."
The plural is rare in practice, since ambivalency usually describes a general state rather than a countable instance.
"The novel captures the ambivalencies of immigrant life with unusual honesty."
Ambivalency is essentially 'ambivalence' wearing a disguise — same meaning, far rarer name, and most spellcheckers have never met it.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of ambivalency
Ambivalency comes from the Latin ambi- ('both ways') combined with valentia ('power, strength'), from the verb valere ('to be strong'). The compound concept entered English in the early twentieth century alongside its sibling terms ambivalence and ambivalent, which were popularized in psychology through the work of Swiss psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler. Words sharing the same Latin root valere include valence, valor, and valid.
Related word forms
How ambivalency is actually used
Ambivalency is markedly rarer than ambivalence and appears mostly in older or more formal texts; in contemporary writing, ambivalence is strongly preferred. The word carries no inherent positive or negative connotation — it simply describes coexisting conflicting feelings.
Easily confused with ambivalency
Ambivalence is the standard, widely used term for mixed feelings, while ambivalency is a rarer variant referring to the same state.