ambigue

Ambigue is a neologism used in some strands of literary and media criticism to describe works whose meaning is intentionally layered and resistant to a single interpretation. The term is not widely standardized in English dictionaries and occurs primarily in theoretical or niche contexts. Etymology traces the root to ambiguity, from Latin ambiguus meaning doubtful, via the French ambigüe; the spelling ambigue appears in English-language critical writing as a signal of a specifically crafted openness of meaning.

In usage, ambigue is applied to texts, films, visual art, and performances that present conflicting perspectives, values, or narratorial voices. Rather than merely being unclear, ambigue denotes a designed tension that invites ongoing interpretation and discussion. Critics may describe an artwork as ambigue when multiple readings are reinforced by devices such as juxtaposition, unreliable narration, polyphony, or montage, which keep interpretation unsettled rather than resolved.

In criticism and reception, ambigue remains a contested coinage; some scholars treat it as a stylistic category akin to open-endedness, while others see it as overlapping with or subordinate to ambiguity. Related concepts include ambiguity, ambivalence, polysemy, and interpretive openness.