an ambiguous grammatical construction; e.g., `they are flying planes' can mean either that someone is flying planes or that something is flying planes
Used in a Sentence
amphiboly
How to use amphiboly in a sentence. Example sentences and definitions for amphiboly.
Editorial note
"The fallacy here is embedded in the amphiboly that 'government' in the first part is the same 'legal basis' in the second part.
Examples5
Definitions1
Parts of speech1
Quick take
an ambiguous grammatical construction; e.g., `they are flying planes' can mean either that someone is flying planes or that something is flying planes
Meaning at a glance
The clearest senses and uses of amphiboly gathered in one view.
Definitions
Core meanings and parts of speech for amphiboly.
noun
an ambiguous grammatical construction; e.g., `they are flying planes' can mean either that someone is flying planes or that something is flying planes
See also: amphibology
Example sentences
"The fallacy here is embedded in the amphiboly that 'government' in the first part is the same 'legal basis' in the second part.
Got a good following here, everyone's commenting on the less ambiguous aspect, which I'd like to throw out the term amphiboly.
FTR I had to look up "amphiboly": > "Linguistically, an amphiboly is an ambiguity which results from ambiguous grammar, as opposed to one that results from the ambiguity of words or phrases—that is, Equivocation.
We're speaking of an amphiboly in these sentences, which makes me wonder after reading all the commentary what a test would be for resolving amphibolies unambiguously using rules of grammar as folks have dived into in the commentary.
Or, personally I think amphiboly is hilarious and I'd filter it up by +100, although it adds absolutely nothing to a discussion other than joy in my life, however I can see how someone could get sick of it and want to filter it out if they were looking for actual knowledge rather than a rare laugh.
Frequently asked questions
Short answers drawn from the clearest meanings and examples for this word.
How do you use amphiboly in a sentence?
"The fallacy here is embedded in the amphiboly that 'government' in the first part is the same 'legal basis' in the second part.
What does amphiboly mean?
an ambiguous grammatical construction; e.g., `they are flying planes' can mean either that someone is flying planes or that something is flying planes
What part of speech is amphiboly?
amphiboly is commonly used as noun.