MEANING
To clarify which of several possible meanings or references is intended.
Use it for
ambiguous terminology; overlapping names; textual interpretationPrevent readers from applying the wrong sense of a key term.
Words that belong together
- disambiguate a term
- disambiguate by context
- disambiguate names
On the page
The next sentence disambiguates the word bank by showing that it refers to a river edge rather than a financial institution.
Dates and locations help disambiguate authors who share a surname.
A glossary can disambiguate terms used differently across disciplines.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- disambiguate / disambiguates
- Past tense
- disambiguated
- Past participle
- disambiguated
- Present participle
- disambiguating
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- disambiguate / disambiguates
- Present continuous
- am/is/are disambiguating
- Present perfect
- have/has disambiguated
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been disambiguating
- Past
- disambiguated
- Past continuous
- was/were disambiguating
- Past perfect
- had disambiguated
- Past perfect continuous
- had been disambiguating
- Future
- will disambiguate / disambiguates
- Future continuous
- will be disambiguating
- Future perfect
- will have disambiguated
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been disambiguating
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: academic. Most useful for language, categories, or identifiers. Removing ambiguity differs from simplifying a difficult but already precise idea. Verb inflections [base, third-person singular, past, past participle, -ing]: disambiguate, disambiguates, disambiguated, disambiguated, disambiguating. Derived family (not inflections): disambiguation.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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