devagueify

English

Etymology

From de- +‎ vague +‎ -ify. First attested in c. 2005.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /dəˈveɪɡɪfaɪ/

Verb

devagueify (third-person singular simple present devagueifies, present participle devagueifying, simple past and past participle devagueified)

  1. to make less vague
    Synonyms: clarify, disambiguate
    Antonym: muddle
    • 2005, Thomason, Richard H., Contextual Effects on Vagueness and the Sorites Paradox: A Preliminary Study‎[1], archived from the original on 31 August 2026, page 2 of 12:
      Kamp does not have a lot to say about the informational side of contexts—about what factors in practice help us to devaguify [sic] adjectives. But he does illustrate how the informational context can influence the interpretation of various sorts of adjectives.
    • 2013 March 15, Greene, Daniel J., Keeping it Vague: A Study of Vague Language in an American Sign Language Corpus and Implications for Interpreting between American Sign Language and English‎[2], retrieved 11 February 2026, pages 88-89:
      If the interpreter is uncomfortable with not knowing where the conversation is going, and their need for clarity causes them to “devagueify” what is vague, they risk taking control of the conversation away from the participants.
    • 2016 August 26, Mitch, “Stackexchange Chat”, in Stackexchange‎[3], retrieved 11 February 2026:
      @FaheemMitha OK my term. But I was trying to devaguify [sic] things.
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