Which type of ambiguity arises when the language of a will is clear on its face but refers to a misdescribed person or property?

• A. Latent Ambiguity
• B. Patent Ambiguity
• C. No Ambiguity
• D. Contingent Ambiguity

Answer: (A)

Latent ambiguity shows up when the words in the will read clearly, but applying those words to the actual people or property known to the testator reveals uncertainty. In this scenario, the language describes a person or property in a way that seems precise, yet the description points to the wrong person or asset once you look at the facts outside the document. That hidden confusion is what makes it latent: the wording isn’t unclear by itself, it becomes ambiguous only when you try to identify who or what was intended.

This is different from a patent ambiguity, which is obvious on the face of the document because the wording itself is unclear or contradictory. It’s also not a non-ambiguous situation, and “contingent ambiguity” isn’t a standard category used in will interpretation.