/ˈtɜrdʒɪvərˌseɪʃən/
noun
The act of evading any clear course of action or speech, of being deliberately ambiguous; equivocation; fickleness.
To his wife, Liam’s explanation was marked by tergiversation. He gave few indications of where he was the night before, or why he smelled like another woman’s perfume.
Cite this Entry
Modern Language Association (MLA Style)
“Tergiversation.” The Effin’ Word, The Effin’ Word, https://effinwords.com/dictionary/tergiversation. Accessed 27 Dec. 2025.
The Chicago Manual of Style (Chicago Style)
The Effin’ Word, s.v. “tergiversation”, accessed December 27, 2025, https://effinwords.com/dictionary/tergiversation.
American Psychological Association (APA Style)
The Effin’ Word. (n.d.). Tergiversation. In The Effin’ Word. Retrieved December 27, 2025, from https://effinwords.com/dictionary/tergiversation