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ambiguous reference

[æmˈbɪɡ.ju.əs ˈref.ər.əns]
nounpl: ambiguous references
referência ambígua
1. A reference or allusion to something that is unclear, vague, or can be interpreted in multiple ways, leaving the reader or listener uncertain about what is being referred to
The pronoun 'it' in the sentence is an ambiguous reference because the reader cannot determine which noun it refers to.
O pronome 'ela' na frase é uma referência ambígua porque o leitor não consegue determinar a qual substantivo se refere.
2. In linguistics and writing, a situation where a word or phrase could logically refer to more than one antecedent or concept
The ambiguous reference made the instructions difficult to follow.
A referência ambígua tornou as instruções difíceis de seguir.
Synonyms
unclear referencevague referenceambiguous pronoundangling referenceequivocal reference
Antonyms
clear referenceunambiguous referenceexplicit referencedefinite reference

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
referência ambígua
most commonly used term in Brazil
Rio de Janeiro
referência ambígua
standard usage
São Paulo
referência ambígua
standard usage
Portugal
referência ambígua
standard usage; also 'remissão ambígua' in technical contexts

Related Idioms & Phrases

lost in translation
open to interpretation
reading between the lines
unclear as mud
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