What does equivocator mean?
An equivocator is a person who deliberately uses vague, ambiguous, or evasive language to avoid telling the truth or committing to a clear position. Rather than lying outright, the equivocator shades and obscures — answering questions without answering them, promising without promising, leaving every statement open to retreat. The word derives from the Latin aequivocus, meaning 'of equal voice,' which came into English via the verb equivocate and the noun equivocation. It is formal in register and almost always pejorative, suggesting cunning and bad faith rather than simple imprecision. Its most famous literary appearance is in Shakespeare's Macbeth, where the Porter imagines admitting 'an equivocator that could swear in both the scales against either scale' — widely read as a topical reference to the equivocation controversy surrounding the 1605 Gunpowder Plot. The word remains useful for describing evasive public figures.
nounA person who uses ambiguous or evasive language in order to conceal the truth or avoid committing to a clear statement; someone who deliberately speaks vaguely or misleadingly.
- A person who speaks ambiguously or evasively to conceal the truth or avoid commitment.
"The witness proved such an equivocator that the judge repeatedly ordered him to answer the question directly."
"The senator was a skilled equivocator, answering every question with a fog of qualifications."
"In Macbeth's Porter scene, Shakespeare mocks an equivocator who 'could swear in both the scales against either scale.'"
Regular plural; standard countable usage.
"Parliaments have never lacked equivocators willing to blur every difficult question."
Shakespeare gave the word its most famous outing: in Macbeth, the Porter jokes about 'an equivocator that could swear in both the scales against either scale' — a pointed jab at the Jesuits involved in the Gunpowder Plot.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of equivocator
Equivocator comes from the verb equivocate, formed from the Latin aequivocus ('of equal voice, ambiguous'), from aequivus (aequi-, 'equal,' + vox, 'voice') combined with the agent suffix -ator. English adopted equivocate in the late sixteenth century, and the agent noun equivocator followed shortly afterward, in the early seventeenth century. Its cognates include equivocal, equivocation, and unequivocal, all built on the same Latin root. The word gained notoriety through Shakespeare's Macbeth (circa 1606), whose Porter scene satirizes the doctrine of equivocation associated with Jesuit defenders accused in the Gunpowder Plot.
Related word forms
How equivocator is actually used
The word is formal and literary, appearing most often in criticism of politicians, lawyers, and witnesses. It carries a strongly negative connotation, implying deliberate deceit rather than mere vagueness. The agent-noun form is less common than the verb 'equivocate' or the noun 'equivocation.'
Easily confused with equivocator
Equivocate is the verb describing the act of speaking ambiguously, while equivocator is the noun naming the person who does it.