tergiversation
- The action of making evasive or contradictory statements, or of abandoning a cause or position.
In a sentence
- The politician's tergiversation on climate policy frustrated voters across the spectrum.
- After years of tergiversation, the defendant finally offered a clear and consistent account.
Usage note. Two distinct meanings to keep straight: (1) deliberate evasion of a clear statement, and (2) abandoning a belief or allegiance—both share the idea of 'turning your back' on something.
Where it comes from
English tergiversation — “evasion, apostasy” · entered English 17th c.
From Latin 'tergiversari', meaning 'to turn one's back, to be evasive', composed of 'tergum' (back) and 'versare' (to turn, frequentative of 'vertere'). The noun form 'tergiversatio' was used in Latin rhetoric for evasion. The word entered English in the 17th century. Source: Oxford English Dictionary, Etymonline.