What does tergiversation mean?
Tergiversation describes the act of evading a clear position, commitment, or answer. It is especially associated with political and institutional behavior: a minister who repeatedly changes position, a spokesperson who offers deliberately ambiguous explanations, or an organization that avoids acknowledging responsibility. The word carries a strongly critical tone because it implies that the evasion is calculated rather than the result of ordinary indecision. Although it can refer more generally to avoidance of a duty or obligation, its modern usage often implies inconsistency or betrayal of a previously stated position. Tergiversation is useful where a neutral term such as uncertainty would be too mild and evasiveness alone would fail to capture the suspected change of stance. It belongs chiefly to formal, argumentative, and political prose, but it is understood in ordinary English in both British and American usage.
nounThe act of changing one's stated position or allegiance, especially to avoid commitment or responsibility. It also denotes evasion, equivocation, or the making of deliberately ambiguous statements.
- A change of position, allegiance, or stated intention that avoids commitment or responsibility.
- The avoidance of a duty, obligation, or direct answer through evasion or equivocation.
"After weeks of tergiversation, the minister finally declared where the government stood."
"His tergiversation on tax reform frustrated both members of his own coalition and the opposition."
"Rather than admit the error, she resorted to tergiversation and blamed the wording of the report."
"The inquiry found evidence of tergiversation in the committee's handling of the inquiry."
The standard plural is used for multiple acts of evasion or changing position.
"The newspaper documented several tergiversations by the administration during the inquiry."
Sometimes described as turning one's back, tergiversation is the ideal word for political backtracking and evasive double-talk.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does tergiversation come from?
Tergiversation comes from early 17th-century English, drawing on the Latin deponent verb tergiversari, meaning “to turn one's back” and, figuratively, “to evade.” The Latin word was formed from tergum, “back,” and versari, “to turn.” Related English words such as reverse, version, versatile, and convert ultimately trace to the same ancient root associated with turning.
Related word forms
How tergiversation is actually used
This is a formal and generally pejorative word. It suggests deliberate evasion, inconsistency, or an unwillingness to take a clear stand rather than ordinary indecision.
Easily confused with tergiversation
Tergiversation means evasion or a change of position, whereas trepidation means fear or nervous agitation.
Tergiversation is the noun naming the evasive behavior, while tergiversate is the verb meaning to evade or change one's position.