prevaricate definition - Dictionary

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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

	preverbal

	preview

	preview light

	previous

	previous question

	previously

	previse

	prevision

	prevocalic

	prevue

	prewar

	prewashed

	prewire

	prewriting

	prexy

	prey

	prey on

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prevaricate

pre·var·i·cate [ pri várrə kàyt ] (past and past participle pre·var·i·cat·ed, present participle pre·var·i·cat·ing, 3rd person present singular pre·var·i·cates)

intransitive verb

Definition:

get out of telling truth: to avoid giving a direct and honest answer or opinion, or a clear and truthful account of a situation, especially by quibbling or being deliberately ambiguous or misleading

[Mid-16th century. < Latin praevaricat-, past participle stem of praevaricari "walk crookedly" < varus "crooked, knock-kneed"]

pre·var·i·ca·tion [ pri vàrrə káysh'n ] noun

pre·var·i·ca·tor noun

Word Usage


	prevaricate or procrastinate? These two verbs are sometimes confused. Prevaricate means "to avoid giving a direct answer or a truthful account" whereas procrastinate means "to postpone something": Don't prevaricate - tell me exactly what happened. Don't procrastinate - the sooner you make a start, the sooner it will be finished.