# ambivalent
## English
### Etymology

Back-formation from ambivalence, from German Ambivalenz, from Latin ambi- (“in two ways”) + valeō (“be strong”); equivalent to ambi- +‎ -valent.

### Pronunciation

* (Received Pronunciation, US) IPA: /æmˈbɪv.ə.lənt/
* Audio (Southern England):(file)
* Audio (US):(file)
* Audio (General Australian):(file)

### Adjective

ambivalent (comparative more ambivalent, superlative most ambivalent)
* Simultaneously experiencing or expressing opposing or contradictory feelings, beliefs, or motivations.
* Alternately being or having one opinion or feeling, and then the opposite.
    His feelings toward his parents are ambivalent.

#### Usage notes

Ambivalent may be loosely used to denote lacking emotions rather than having conflicting emotions. More appropriate alternatives for a lack of emotion would be indifferent and apathetic.

#### Synonyms

* (simultaneously experiencing or expressing opposing feelings): conflicted, uncertain, undecided, unresolved
* (alternately feeling opposing feelings): vacillating, fluctuating, wavering

#### Derived terms

* ambivalently
* nonambivalent
* preambivalent
* unambivalent

#### Related terms

* ambiguous
* ambivalence
* equivalent

#### Translations
## Dutch
### Etymology

Borrowed from German ambivalent.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˌɑm.bi.vaːˈlɛnt/
* Audio:(file)
* Hyphenation: am‧bi‧va‧lent
* Rhymes: -ɛnt

### Adjective

ambivalent (comparative ambivalenter, superlative ambivalentst)
* ambivalent (simultaneously experiencing conflicting drives) [from early 20th c.]

#### Derived terms

* ambivalentie

#### Descendants

* → Indonesian: ambivalen

## French
### Etymology

Borrowed from German ambivalent, from Latin ambi- + Latin valentem, the latter from the verb valeō.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ɑ̃.bi.va.lɑ̃/
* Audio:(file)

### Adjective

ambivalent (feminine ambivalente, masculine plural ambivalents, feminine plural ambivalentes)
* ambivalent
* ambiguous, equivocal

### Further reading

* “ambivalent”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

## German
### Etymology

From ambi-, ambo and valens (inflected valent-), valeo.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ʔambivaˈlɛnt/
* Audio (Austria):(file)
* Audio:(file)

### Adjective

ambivalent (strong nominative masculine singular ambivalenter, comparative ambivalenter, superlative am ambivalentesten)
* ambivalent
    Seine Gefühle ihr gegenüber sind ambivalent, sowohl positiv als auch negativ.His feelings to her are ambivalent, positive as well as negative.

#### Related terms

* Ambivalenz

### Further reading

* “ambivalent” in Duden online
* “ambivalent” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

## Romanian
### Etymology

Borrowed from French ambivalent.

### Adjective

ambivalent m or n (feminine singular ambivalentă, masculine plural ambivalenți, feminine and neuter plural ambivalente)
* ambivalent

#### Declension
## Swedish
### Adjective

ambivalent (not (comparable))
* ambivalent

#### Usage notes

Often implies calm ambivalence, like in English – not caring much one way or the other due to mixed feelings. Kluven (“torn”) might imply more mentally uncomfortable ambivalence.

#### Declension

$^1$ The indefinite superlative forms are only used in the predicative. $^2$ Dated or archaic. $^3$ Only used, optionally, to refer to things whose natural gender is masculine.

#### Related terms

* ambivalens

#### See also

* kluven

### References

* ambivalent in Svensk ordbok (SO)
* ambivalent in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)