ambivalence

English

Etymology

From (deprecated template usage) [etyl] German (deprecated template usage) Ambivalenz, from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Latin (deprecated template usage) ambo and (deprecated template usage) valentia, from the verb (deprecated template usage) valere (see valiant). Coined 1910 by Swiss psychologist Eugen Bleuler, by 1929 had taken on a broader literary and general sense.

Noun

ambivalence (countable and uncountable, plural ambivalences)

1. The coexistence of opposing attitudes or feelings (such as love and hate) towards a person, object or idea.
2. A state of uncertainty or indecisiveness.

Usage notes

This word is often used to express a lack of concern about the outcome of a choice to be made [1]. In this case, a more appropriate word to use is indifference. The confusion is probably caused by the similarity of sounds between the two words and the passive sound of the word.

Related terms

• ambivalent

Translations

coexistence of opposing attitudes

• Dutch: ambivalentie (nl)
• German: Ambivalenz (de) f
• Greek: αμφιθυμία (el) f (amfithymía)
• Icelandic: tvíveðrungur m, tvíbendni f
• Polish: ambiwalencja (pl) f
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Portuguese: ambivalência (pt) f
• Russian: неоднозначность (ru) (neodnoznačnostʹ), амбивалентность (ru) (ambivalentnostʹ)
• Serbo-Croatian: ambivalencija (sh) f, ambivalentnost (sh) f, podeljenost f
• Spanish: ambivalencia (es) f
• Swedish: ambivalens (sv) c

state of uncertainty

• German: Ambivalenz (de) f
• Polish: niezdecydowanie (pl) n
• Portuguese: ambivalência (pt) f
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Russian: нерешительность (ru) (nerešitelʹnostʹ), неуверенность (ru) (neuverennostʹ)
• Serbo-Croatian: ambivalencija (sh) f, ambivalentnost (sh) f
• Spanish: indecisión f

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Turkish: ^{(please verify)} belirsizlik, ^{(please verify)} bir duruma karşı zıt görüşler bulunması/bulunmasının getirdiği belirsizlik