What is equivocation and should you use it in your work?

It’s a common practice to use different styles and rhetorical devices to convey ideas, convince your audience, and achieve other personal and professional goals with your writing. One of these writing tools is equivocation. Equivocation can be powerful when used properly, but it can also lead to confusing and misinterpreted work. Learn what equivocation is and when you should and shouldn’t use it in your work.

What is equivocation?

Equivocation is a type of logical fallacy that you may use in your speech, writing, or other forms of work. It’s when you intentionally use ambiguous words or phrases that can have multiple interpretations. This flexible way of writing can be used to convey different messages to different audiences. However, its ambiguity may also mean you’re lacking commitment to a theme or idea. Not only can you use equivocations in your work, but you may have seen them in your day-to-day activities as well. Some types of equivocations you might see are:

Equivocation in politics

Some politicians use equivocations when campaigning or holding negotiations with other nations. They may use this type of logical fallacy in their campaign promises to convince constituents to vote for them even though they might have different interpretations of what the politician says. Because different countries may have conflicting interests, politicians can use the ambiguous language in equivocations to appeal to several nations. For example, a politician could say:

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I won’t raise taxes.
This could be a true statement because the politician might not raise property taxes while they’re in office. However, they could raise food and beverage taxes, gasoline taxes, or other taxes they didn’t mention. This is an equivocation fallacy because its open interpretation could be that the politician won’t raise taxes at all or raise specific taxes.

Equivocation in media

Media and entertainment, like sports, advertisements, and TV shows, can include equivocations that are humorous, ambiguous, or even deceiving, depending on your interpretation. An example of an equivocation fallacy you might hear while watching a baseball game is:

They stole the base.
If you hear a sports announcer, fan, or other person say that a baseball player stole a base, it’s unlikely that the player is being accused of taking a physical base off the field without permission. In context, the player likely ran to the next base while the pitcher was throwing the ball, holding the ball, or as the catcher is throwing the ball back to the pitcher.

Equivocation in writing

Some equivocations are more noticeable than others. If you’ve ever taken an IQ test, you might’ve come across examples of more obvious equivocation fallacies. A more obvious equivocation that someone might write is:

All planes have wings and fly. All birds have wings. So, all birds fly.
While the first two sentences in this example are true, the third statement isn’t. All birds do have wings but not all of them can fly. This is an equivocation fallacy because there’s an assumption that if all planes with wings can fly, all birds with wings can as well.

Should you use equivocations?

Whether or not you should use equivocations in your work depends on what type of work you’re completing. In creative arts, like writing, poetry, and satirical work, equivocation may be a fun tool for you to explore. This logical fallacy can evoke emotions, create ambiguity, and encourage your readers to interpret your work in their own unique ways. Use equivocations in your satirical pieces when you want to incorporate witty wordplay. Experimenting with the different meanings of words and phrases can also provide you with clever punchlines when writing or performing comedic pieces of work.

“Using equivocations in formal essays, work emails, or other professional environments can lead to confusion and misunderstandings with your audience.”

When to avoid equivocations

There are times when you want everyone to interpret what you’re saying or writing in the same manner. In these cases, you should avoid using equivocation fallacies in things like professional communications, when discussing ethical concerns, or when you want to provide concise ideas. Using equivocations in formal essays, work emails, or other professional environments can lead to confusion and misunderstandings with your audience. Ambiguous language can also damage your relationships and cause mistrust with your audience if they interpret your words negatively.

Equivocations are logical fallacies that can make or break your writing. If you use them intentionally and correctly, they can add realness to your character’s dialogue in your creative story, add deepness to your poetry, and make your readers chuckle. Use equivocations with purpose in your work and sparingly so you don’t unintentionally confuse or lose your audience.