ambivalence

English

Etymology

From (deprecated template usage) [etyl] German Ambivalenz (“simultaneous conflicting feelings”), from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Latin ambo (“both”) and valentia (“strength”), from the verb valere (“to be strong”) (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
• Persian: ضد و نقیض (zedd-o-naqiz)
• Polish: ambiwalencja (pl) f
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Portuguese: ambivalência (pt) f
• Russian: неоднозна́чность (ru) (neodnoznáčnostʹ), амбивале́нтность (ru) (ambivaléntnostʹ)
• 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: нереши́тельность (ru) (nerešítelʹnostʹ), неуве́ренность (ru) (neuvérennostʹ)
• 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

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French

Pronunciation

• (deprecated use of |lang= parameter)

  Audio:

  (file)

Noun

ambivalence f (plural ambivalences)

1. ambivalence
2. ambiguity