uncommunicative

American  

[uhn-kuh-myoo-ni-kuh-tiv, -key-tiv] / ˌʌn kəˈmyu nɪ kə tɪv, -ˌkeɪ tɪv /

adjective

1. not inclined to talk or disclose information; reserved; taciturn.

   Synonyms:

   shy, retiring, withdrawn, reticent

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uncommunicative British  

/ ˌʌnkəˈmjuːnɪkətɪv /

adjective

1. disinclined to talk or give information or opinions

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Other Word Forms

• uncommunicatively
  adverb
• uncommunicativeness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of uncommunicative

First recorded in 1685–95; un- ¹ + communicative

Explanation

Hello? Is anyone reading this? Please respond. Well, it seems that you’re uncommunicative, and you’re not willing to talk for whatever reason. How lonely. Someone who is uncommunicative has trouble communicating. Maybe they’re tired or grumpy, or maybe their cell phone battery died. The Latin adjective for "shared" is a root word, and no matter why, an uncommunicative person won’t share much, maybe only a few words, sometimes no words at all. You can also say that a book is uncommunicative if it’s very confusing and doesn’t make sense to you. Or you can just stop reading.