Language
Univocal, equivocal, and analogical describe how a word’s meaning relates across different subjects: univocal means the same thing (e.g., “pig” for two different animals), equivocal means entirely different things (e.g., “bank” for a river and a financial institution), and analogical means partly the same and partly different (e.g., “healthy” for a pig and for healthy food). These concepts are especially used in philosophy and theology to discuss how language can refer to concepts that have different levels of being, like human and divine.
| Term | Definition | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Univocal | A word is used in the exact same sense for two or more different things. | Both the pig in a pen and a pig on a farm are called a “pig” in the same sense. |
| Equivocal | A word is used with completely different meanings for two or more different things. | The word “bank” means a place to deposit money and the edge of a river, or a “bat” can be a piece of sports equipment or the flying mammal. |
| Analogical | A word is used with senses that are partially similar but also partially different. | A pig is called “healthy” in a biological sense, while the food that keeps the pig healthy is called “healthy” because it produces health. |
AI responses may include mistakes.
[1] https://theologyalongtheway.org/2020/05/11/thinking-about-god-univocally-or-analogically/
[2] http://iteadthomam.blogspot.com/2008/07/logic-101-lesson-1-univocal-vs.html
[3] https://www.philosophyzer.com/univocal-and-equivocal-language/
[6] https://www.reformation.blog/p/univocal-equivocal-or-analogical