not committing one to any point of view or course of action; not revealing one's position or purpose: a noncommittal response to a question
adjective
The definition of noncommittal is a person or behavior that is vague and that does not reveal a commitment to something or position on something.
A vague answer to a question that doesn't really reveal your position is an example of something that would be described as noncommittal.
YourDictionary definition and usage example. Copyright © 2018 by LoveToKnow Corp
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"noncommittal." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 18 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Noncommittal>.
APA Style
noncommittal. (n.d.). Retrieved January 18th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Noncommittal
noncommittal
Webster's New World College Dictionary, Fifth Edition Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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Cite this page
MLA Style
"noncommittal." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 18 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Noncommittal>.
APA Style
noncommittal. (n.d.). Retrieved January 18th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Noncommittal
noncommittal
adjective
Refusing commitment to a particular opinion or course of action; not revealing what one feels or thinks: “His face was the color of a freshly baked pork pie and as noncommittal” ( Thomas Pynchon )
Related Forms:
- non′com·mit′tal·ly
adverb
THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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Cite this page
MLA Style
"noncommittal." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 18 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Noncommittal>.
APA Style
noncommittal. (n.d.). Retrieved January 18th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Noncommittal
Adjective
(comparative more noncommittal, superlative most noncommittal)
- Tending to avoid commitment; lacking certainty or decisiveness; reluctant to give out information or show one's feelings or opinion.
Origin
non- +"Ž committal
English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.
Link to this page
Cite this page
MLA Style
"noncommittal." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 18 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Noncommittal>.
APA Style
noncommittal. (n.d.). Retrieved January 18th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Noncommittal
Sentence Examples
- His nod was noncommittal as he examined the place where the car had gone over.
- Carmen lifted her shoulders in a noncommittal shrug.
- I tried to appear noncommittal.
- I told her I'd asked the same question of Martha earlier and she'd been noncommittal.
- Carmen lifted her shoulders in a noncommittal shrug.
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WORDS NEAR noncommittal IN THE DICTIONARY
- noncommittal
- noncommissioned-officers
- noncommital
- noncommitment