# tergiversate

> English word · Verb · IPA /ˈtɜːd͡ʒɪvəseɪt/

## Definitions
1. To evade, to equivocate using subterfuge; to obfuscate in a deliberate manner.
2. To change sides or affiliation; to apostatize.
3. To flee by turning one's back.

## 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.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-09-03.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/tergiversate