Tergiversation

Tergiversation is the act of evading straightforward action or changing one’s opinions or positions, particularly in political or public contexts. The noun emphasizes inconsistency and evasiveness.

Etymology: The term comes from Latin tergiversare, from tergum “back” and vertere “to turn.” It entered English in the early modern period and remains relatively rare, but is widely understood in political and rhetorical discourse.

Usage: Tergiversation is often pejorative, describing a pattern of backtracking, hedging, or shifting stance to suit circumstances rather than commitments. It is commonly used to criticize a politician who changes policy positions or avoids taking a clear stand. In rhetoric, it can refer to strategies that hedge, delay, or provide ambiguous language to evade a definitive claim.

Nuance: The word implies opportunistic or evasive motive rather than legitimate re-evaluation or principled compromise. In literature and critique, tergiversation may denote a character’s unwillingness to own up to consequences or truth, rather than a neutral change of mind.

See also: Equivocation; Flip-flop; Politically expedient; Spin.