Disambiguation is the act of separate the different kinds of meanings that an ambiguous word can have.
Disambiguation is the effect of disambiguating, that is, removing the ambiguity of a word or expression. Ambiguity is that which can have more than one meaning; availability for a double interpretation.
Some words, with the same spelling and pronunciation, can have two or more different interpretations. The word "mango", for example, can mean either the fruit of the mango tree or one of the parts that make up the shirt.
Disambiguation is precisely the separation of all the meanings that a word could possibly have. In the example cited, the word "mango" in disambiguation should have both the meaning related to the fruit and that of the garment.
Dictionaries and encyclopedias usually disambiguate their words, in order to clarify all the possible meanings they have.
Synonyms of disambiguation
- clarification
- specification
- de-clouding
- explanation
- instruction
See also the meaning of Ambiguity and 6 Examples of Ambiguity.