disambiguate

[ dis-am-big-yoo-eyt ]

verb (used with object)

, dis·am·big·u·at·ed, dis·am·big·u·at·ing.

1. to remove the ambiguity from; make unambiguous:

   In order to disambiguate the sentence “She lectured on the famous passenger ship,” you'll have to write either “lectured on board” or “lectured about.”

disambiguate

/ ˌdɪsæmˈbɪɡjʊˌeɪt /

verb

1. tr to make (an ambiguous expression) unambiguous

Derived Forms

• ˌdisamˌbiguˈation, noun

Other Words From

• dis·am·big·u·a·tion [dis-am-big-yoo-, ey, -sh, uh, n] noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of disambiguate¹

First recorded in 1960–65; dis- ¹ + ambigu(ous) + -ate ¹

Example Sentences

There are a lot of good reasons for this, chiefly that even a small amount of time can help our rational minds disambiguate between meaningless provocation and matters of importance.

From Fox News

“We have to decide: Is it really the same entity that we are referring to? Sometimes context will disambiguate for us, and often it will not,” Baron says.

From Washington Post

“When you have objects that are in a cluster, so to speak, it’s very difficult to disambiguate which one is which.”

From The Verge

Right now, for instance, I’m test-driving a new feature where I write down what earrings I wear every day, leading to speculations about how I should disambiguate between all the different pairs I own.

From Washington Post

Gomes also discussed “neural matching,” a technique that uses documents online to help disambiguate imprecise language.

From The Verge

Related Words

• authorize
• base
• confirm
• determine
• enact
• formulate
• make
• prove
• ratify