prevaricate

USAGE SUMMARY

'prevaricate' is a correct and usable word in written English.
It means to deliberately avoid telling the truth or to deliberately mislead. For example, "When questioned about his whereabouts that night, John prevaricated, saying he had been at the library."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

To Flint, he complained: "Councils still prevaricate and countless opportunities for providing a mixed form of housing tenure in attractive surroundings are being tragically and scandalously lost".

The Guardian

Its leaders cannot prevaricate over diplomacy for ever; ditching their anti-Semitic charter would help too.

The Economist

With the country's most egregious suspected war criminal at liberty, the European Union had a plausible reason to prevaricate about admitting it.Now that Mr Mladic is heading for a well-deserved trial in The Hague, the EU must stop making excuses.

The Economist

Mr Karzai may prevaricate, but Afghan political leaders have no intention of going the same way as Iraq, where the withdrawal of immunity triggered the exit of American forces.The third requirement is that the Afghans must have the weapons they need to fight the Taliban.

The Economist

He loudly opposes torture while his Republican colleagues prevaricate.

The Economist

Concerns about distribution and its effect on future growth add impetus: the longer that governments prevaricate about reforming entitlements, the more will be squeezed from investment in the young and poor.These days, public investment in education needs to go beyond primary and secondary school.

The Economist

There is one problem: politics.Postponing most of the investment until after the next general election due by 2015 would make it easier for an incoming government to ditch Trident or, more likely, prevaricate for so long that it amounts to the same thing.

The Economist

If any officers disobey or prevaricate, they should be brought to book.

The Economist

If the other members of the Security Council propose having one more try at implementing the existing weapons-inspections regime, and if Mr Hussein accepts it (only to prevaricate again), Mr Bush would face an unenviable choice.

The Economist

In the corridors, officials complained that many countries still either refuse or prevaricate when asked to co-operate with their investigations.In previous years, the symposium has tended to tackle issues such as counterfeiting, smuggling and piracy on the high seas.

The Economist

Although Nigeria's oil earnings, net of production costs and income to foreign oil companies, amount to around only $90 per Nigerian a year, the United States and Europe continue to prevaricate over urgently needed debt-reduction because the oil earnings are easy to squeeze for debt-service payments.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "prevaricate" when you want to convey that someone is intentionally avoiding the truth, especially in situations involving politics, business, or legal matters. It adds a layer of formality and judgment to the description.

Common error

Avoid using "prevaricate" when a simpler term like "delay" or "hesitate" would suffice. "Prevaricate" implies a deliberate intent to deceive, so ensure the context supports this connotation.

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "prevaricate" is as an intransitive verb. It describes the act of avoiding telling the truth or speaking evasively. Ludwig provides numerous examples where "prevaricate" is used to describe actions of politicians, officials, or individuals attempting to mislead or avoid direct answers.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Formal & Business

25%

Science

5%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

3%

Wiki

2%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The word "prevaricate" is a grammatically correct and frequently used verb, as confirmed by Ludwig. It signifies avoiding the truth or being evasive, often with the intent to mislead. While similar to words like "lie", "prevaricate" implies a more subtle form of deception. It is most commonly found in news and formal business contexts, indicating a formal register. When using "prevaricate", ensure the context supports the implication of deliberate deception, as simpler terms may be more appropriate if simple avoidance is intended. As Ludwig's examples demonstrate, "prevaricate" often carries a negative connotation, suggesting disapproval of the evasive behavior.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

equivocate

Similar to "prevaricate", but emphasizes ambiguity and using unclear language to avoid commitment.

beat around the bush

An idiomatic expression meaning to avoid the main point, often due to discomfort or reluctance.

dodge the question

Focuses on avoiding answering a question directly, implying a deliberate evasion.

evade the issue

Highlights avoiding a specific topic or problem, often suggesting responsibility or guilt.

hem and haw

Implies hesitation and indecisiveness in speech, often to avoid a direct answer.

tergiversate

A more formal synonym for "prevaricate", suggesting changing one's attitude or opinions.

sidestep the truth

Suggests a deliberate attempt to avoid telling the truth by indirect means.

be evasive

Describes a general tendency to avoid giving clear or direct answers.

fudge the facts

Implies manipulating or distorting facts to create a false impression.

mince words

To avoid expressing something unpleasant or shocking by using indirect or less direct language

FAQs

How to use "prevaricate" in a sentence?

You can use "prevaricate" to describe someone avoiding telling the truth. For example, "The politician began to "prevaricate" when asked about the scandal."

What can I say instead of "prevaricate"?

You can use alternatives like "equivocate", "beat around the bush", or "dodge the question" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "prevaricate" or "procrastinate"?

"Prevaricate" means to avoid telling the truth, while "procrastinate" means to delay or postpone an action. They have different meanings and cannot be used interchangeably.

What's the difference between "prevaricate" and "lie"?

"Prevaricate" suggests avoiding the truth without directly lying, often through evasion or ambiguity. "Lie" means making a false statement with the intention to deceive.