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scope ambiguity

An English sentence that can be bracketed two ways with different meanings.

A scope ambiguity arises when an English sentence doesn't settle which connective has the larger scope, so it can be symbolized with brackets in two places that give different truth conditions.

Examples

  • "You may have soup or salad and bread" can mean (soup or salad) and bread, or soup or (salad and bread).

See also

scope amphiboly
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