English Reference

Word

unambiguously

Phoneticsun·am·bigu·ous·ly

US/ənæmˈbɪɡjuəsɫi/

UK/ʌnæmbˈɪɡjuːəsli/

Definition

adv. in a way that is very clear and has only one possible meaning. You use this when you want to make sure there is no confusion.

adv. in a manner that is free from ambiguity or doubt; clearly and unmistakably. Often used to describe evidence, statements, or logical conclusions.

Examples

“The results of the test were unambiguously positive.”

“The manager unambiguously stated that the deadline would not be extended under any circumstances.”

“While the initial data appeared conflicting, the final report presented the findings unambiguously, leaving no room for alternative interpretations of the cause of the failure.”

Examples

simple

“The results of the test were unambiguously positive.”

contextual

“The manager unambiguously stated that the deadline would not be extended under any circumstances.”

complex

“While the initial data appeared conflicting, the final report presented the findings unambiguously, leaving no room for alternative interpretations of the cause of the failure.”

Real-World Examples

“The issue, here, was not whether someone could pick a mushroom in the woods and take it home to eat – that’s unambiguously legal.”
Aeon · 22 Sept 2026
“It still wasn’t quite enough to unambiguously declare the discovery of the first glueball.”
Ars Technica · 12 Aug 2026

Etymology

From unambiguous + -ly or un- + ambiguously.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry

Level
C1 · Advanced
Frequency
Occasional
Updated

Scan code

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English Reference