Prevaricate

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /prɪˈvaɹɪkeɪt/
• US IPA: /pɹɪˈvæɹɪkeɪt/, /pɹɪˈvɛɹɪkeɪt/

Alternative forms

• prævaricate archaic

Origin

From the participle stem of Latin praevāricārī (""), from prae- with vāricāre (""), from vārus (""), from Proto-Indo-European *wā- ("to bend apart") (the root of ‘various’).

Full definition of prevaricate

Verb

1. (transitive, intransitive, obsolete) To deviate, transgress; to go astray (from).
2. (intransitive) To shift or turn from direct speech or behaviour; to evade the truth; to waffle or be (intentionally) ambiguous.The people saw the politician prevaricate every day.
3. (intransitive, legal) To collude, as where an informer colludes with the defendant, and makes a sham prosecution.
4. (legal, UK) To undertake something falsely and deceitfully, with the purpose of defeating or destroying it.

Derived terms

• prevarication
• prevaricator