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Definition of prevaricate - 4 dictionary results
pre⋅var⋅i⋅cate
[pri-var-i-keyt] 
–verb (used without object), -cat⋅ed, -cat⋅ing.
| to speak falsely or misleadingly; deliberately misstate or create an incorrect impression; lie. |
Origin:
1575–85; < L praevāricātus, ptp. of praevāricārī to straddle something, (of an advocate) collude with an opponent's advocate, equiv. to prae- pre- + vāricāre to straddle, deriv. of vārus bent outwards, bow-legged
1575–85; < L praevāricātus, ptp. of praevāricārī to straddle something, (of an advocate) collude with an opponent's advocate, equiv. to prae- pre- + vāricāre to straddle, deriv. of vārus bent outwards, bow-legged
Related forms:
pre⋅var⋅i⋅ca⋅tion, noun
pre⋅var⋅i⋅ca⋅tive, pre⋅var⋅i⋅ca⋅to⋅ry [pri-var-i-kuh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee] , adjective
[pri-var-i-kuh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee] , adjective Synonyms:
evade, shift.
evade, shift.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Link To prevaricate
| pre·var·i·cate (prĭ-vār'ĭ-kāt') intr.v. pre·var·i·cat·ed, pre·var·i·cat·ing, pre·var·i·cates To stray from or evade the truth; equivocate. See Synonyms at lie2. [Latin praevāricārī, praevāricāt- : prae-, pre- + vāricāre, to straddle (from vāricus, straddling, from vārus, bent).] pre·var'i·ca'tion n., pre·var'i·ca'tor n. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Prevaricate
Pre*var"i*cate\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Prevaricated; p. pr. & vb. n. Prevaricating.] [L. praevaricatus, p. p. of praevaricari to walk crookedly, to collude; prae before + varicare to straddle, fr. varicus straddling, varus bent. See Varicose.]1. To shift or turn from one side to the other, from the direct course, or from truth; to speak with equivocation; to shuffle; to quibble; as, he prevaricates in his statement. He prevaricates with his own understanding. --South. 2. (Civil Law) To collude, as where an informer colludes with the defendant, and makes a sham prosecution. 3. (Eng. Law) To undertake a thing falsely and deceitfully, with the purpose of defeating or destroying it. Syn: To evade; equivocate; quibble; shuffle. Usage: Prevaricate, Evade, Equivocate. One who evades a question ostensibly answers it, but really turns aside to some other point. He who equivocate uses words which have a double meaning, so that in one sense he can claim to have said the truth, though he does in fact deceive, and intends to do it. He who prevaricates talks all round the question, hoping to "dodge" it, and disclose nothing.Prevaricate
Pre*var"i*cate\, v. t. To evade by a quibble; to transgress; to pervert. [Obs.] --Jer. Taylor.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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