Equivocal
Etymology
From Late Latin aequivocus, from aequus, "equal," and vox (stem voc-), "voice" — literally "of equal voice," a word that calls out two meanings at once. It first described terms that carry more than one sense, then broadened to any statement or attitude that is ambiguous or noncommittal. To "equivocate" is to exploit exactly this doubleness of meaning.
adjective · /ih-KWIV-uh-kul/
Open to more than one interpretation; deliberately or unavoidably ambiguous.
What it names
The quality of language, evidence, or a stance that refuses to resolve into a single clear meaning — often to avoid committing.
Example
The committee’s equivocal reply neither approved the plan nor killed it, leaving everyone to guess.
Related idea
Ambiguous simply admits more than one reading; equivocal often implies the doubleness is intentional, a way of avoiding commitment.