tergiversate
/ˈtɜːd͡ʒɪvəseɪt/
"tergiversate" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“tergiversate” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 12
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To evade, to equivocate using subterfuge; to obfuscate in a deliberate manner.
Corpus desk
Index EN-tergiversate · tergiversate · English
tergiversate · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-MEGA 12 letters
- VOW-5 5 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "T" thin
- PHOTO-UNK Peer pending
Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern
Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | tergiversate |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| IPA | /ˈtɜːd͡ʒɪvəseɪt/ |
| Letters | 12 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “tergiversate” in English
Rare enough to double-check
tergiversate is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as averb, transcribed /ˈtɜːd͡ʒɪvəseɪt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.
No misspelling variants are generated for tergiversate in our index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.
Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin tergiversātus, perfect active participle of tergiversor (“to evade, to avoid, to turn one's back on”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from tergum (“back, hind”) + versor (“to turn”). Compare French tergiverser. The correct English form is tergiversate, spelled T-E-R-G-I-V-E-R-S-A-T-E.
Definition
- 1To evade, to equivocate using subterfuge; to obfuscate in a deliberate manner.
- 2To change sides or affiliation; to apostatize.
- 3To flee by turning one's back.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how tergiversate appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
The officials soon concluded that the easiest way to remain on good terms with the court was to elude responsibility, to tergiversate, to prevent results.
Henry had hesitated before authorising the spoliation; he would soon tergiversate on other matters of doctrine but this act was irreversible.
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin tergiversātus, perfect active participle of tergiversor (“to evade, to avoid, to turn one's back on”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from tergum (“back, hind”) + versor (“to turn”). Compare French tergiverser.
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.