ambivalence
noun
am·biv·a·lence
| \ am-ˈbi-və-lən(t)s
\
\
Definition of ambivalence
1
: simultaneous and contradictory attitudes or feelings (such as attraction and repulsion) toward an object, person, or action
felt ambivalence toward his powerful father ambivalence toward marriage
2a
: continual fluctuation (as between one thing and its opposite)
b
: uncertainty as to which approach to follow
ambivalence about their goals
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Examples of ambivalence in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Like Ida, who ends up choosing the convent over the world, the lovers at the heart of Pawlikowski’s new film forsake the ambivalence of liberty for a familiar confinement. — Giles Harvey, Harper's magazine, "Home Truths," 10 Jan. 2019 Between adolescence and adulthood there is sometimes a gray area and Khalid probes that space with real creativity, touched by caution, uncertainty and ambivalence. — John Adamian, courant.com, "Young star Khalid performing in Hartford," 26 July 2019 The Bridget Jones-esque rom-com follows Julia, a twentysomething whose ambivalence about dating men has crept into all corners of her life. — Kerensa Cadenas, EW.com, "Kate Davies' In at the Deep End tells the truth about coming out later in life," 1 July 2019 With only drummer Philip Selway and guitarist Ed O’Brien on hand, Radiohead didn’t perform; there was a question of whether any of them would show up given the group’s past ambivalence about the hall. — David Bauder, The Seattle Times, "Jackson, Nicks enter hall with encouragement for women," 31 Mar. 2019 Kabul did little to settle Buttigieg's ambivalence about the war on terrorism. — Author: Steve Hendrix, Joshua Partlow, Anchorage Daily News, "How Pete Buttigieg went from war protester to ‘packing my bags for Afghanistan’," 29 July 2019 The Trump administration, however, responded with ambivalence as Morales first expelled the commission’s leader and then decided to end its mandate altogether. — Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, "Guatemala, simmering with discontent, shows little enthusiasm for the presidential election," 9 Aug. 2019 Virginia could no longer afford the kind of ambivalence Jefferson had exhibited, proclaiming slavery an evil yet living on its fruits. — Drew Gilpin Faust, The Atlantic, "Race, History, and Memories of a Virginia Girlhood," 18 July 2019 Public health group Wellcome is out with a wide-ranging report finding that some regions of the world have deeply concerning ambivalence, and even antipathy, toward vaccines. — Sy Mukherjee, Fortune, "Google, Pharma Giant Sanofi Team Up to Discover Drugs: Brainstorm Health," 19 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ambivalence.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for ambivalence
ambivalence
noun
am·biv·a·lence
| \ am-ˈbiv-ə-lən(t)s
\
\
Medical Definition of ambivalence
: simultaneous and contradictory attitudes or feelings (as attraction and repulsion) toward an object, person, or action
ambivalence which is expressed in behavior by alternating obedience and rebellion— G. S. Blum
Other Words from ambivalence
ambivalent
\ -lənt
\
adjective
\
adjective
ambivalently
adverb
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