An equivocation is the use of different meanings of the same word to argue that the word means the same in each instance. Example:
We understand that runoff from Kennedy Park into the Raritan River is of great community concern; however, the runoff between the mayoral cadidates seems to generate little local interest.
Obviously, the environmental and political meanings of runoff are vastly different, so this comment would be met with skepticism or derision.
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Notes on effective writing at work, school, and home by Philip Vassallo, Ed.D.
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