inconclusive
Americanadjective
-
not conclusive; not resolving fully all doubts or questions.
inconclusive evidence.
-
without final results or outcome.
inconclusive experiments.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of inconclusive
First recorded in 1680–90; in- 3 + conclusive
Explanation
If something's inconclusive, that means it doesn't lead to a conclusion or a resolution. Inconclusive often describes scientific results. If your data about a flu outbreak is inconclusive, then your results don't prove anything. A good way to remember the meaning of inconclusive is to look at the root word conclusive, which means "definitive, decisive, and convincing." When you add in- — which means "not" — to the front of conclusive, you get a word that means "not definitive." When something's inconclusive, it doesn't resolve your questions and leaves room for debate. If you're a detective, the last thing you want to hear is that your evidence is inconclusive.
Vocabulary lists containing inconclusive
Case Closed: Clud, Clus
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Vocabulary from "Stop Expecting Games to Build Empathy" by Julie Muncy
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The Double Helix
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Inconclusive tests, which were not uncommon throughout the season, were often the result of contamination of some kind.
From Slate • Oct. 28, 2020
Inconclusive results from two large studies that scanned the genome for gene variants linked to finger length also raise doubts about the 2D:4D ratio, critics say.
From Science Magazine • Jun. 6, 2019
Inconclusive benefits are just one critique in an increasingly heated debate over the systems as they become more widespread.
From Washington Post • Nov. 17, 2016
Inconclusive autopsies and witness statements led authorities to release her husband.
From Reuters • Mar. 8, 2014
Inconclusive conjecture, perhaps, but no other explanation offered itself.
From Astounding Stories of Super-Science, November, 1930 by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
