prevarication
/pɹɪˌvæɹ.ɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/
"prevarication" is a 13-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“prevarication” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 13
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Evasion of the truth.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | prevarication |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /pɹɪˌvæɹ.ɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/ |
| Letters | 13 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “prevarication” sits in English frequency
Rare enough to double-check
prevarication is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /pɹɪˌvæɹ.ɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 5 senses are on record.
prevarication doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.
Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin praevāricātiō (“collusion with an opponent; duplicity, deceit; violation of duty, transgression”, literally “stepping out of line”), from praevāricor (“to walk crookedly; go astray; transgress”) + -tās. The virtually obsolete sense of de… The correct English form is prevarication, spelled P-R-E-V-A-R-I-C-A-T-I-O-N.
Definition
- 1Evasion of the truth.
- 2Deviation from what is right or correct.
- 3A secret abuse in the exercise of a public office.
- 4The collusion of an informer with the defendant, for the purpose of making a sham prosecution.
- 5A false or deceitful seeming to undertake a thing for the purpose of defeating or destroying it.
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin praevāricātiō (“collusion with an opponent; duplicity, deceit; violation of duty, transgression”, literally “stepping out of line”), from praevāricor (“to walk crookedly; go astray; transgress”) + -tās. The virtually obsolete sense of deviation or transgression may have been influenced by an earlier stage of borrowing via Middle English prevaricacioun, prevaricacion (“deviation from the law; transgression”) from Anglo-Norman prevaricaciun (“transgression, violation of correct conduct”).
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “prevarication”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is P-R-E-V-A-R-I-C-A-T-I-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /pɹɪˌvæɹ.ɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source
Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.