inconclusive
Americanadjective
-
not conclusive; not resolving fully all doubts or questions.
inconclusive evidence.
-
without final results or outcome.
inconclusive experiments.
adjective
Other Word Forms
- inconclusively adverb
- inconclusiveness noun
Etymology
Origin of inconclusive
First recorded in 1680–90; in- 3 + conclusive
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.
A leadership change and inconclusive evidence of artificial-intelligence momentum left Adobe investors with more questions than answers after Thursday’s earnings report.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 13, 2026
Independent polling has painted an inconclusive picture about which Democratic candidate would be more competitive in November.
From Salon • Mar. 2, 2026
On Monday, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department addressed reports that there may be video of the suspect at Guthrie’s door on a day prior to her abduction, saying it was inconclusive.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 24, 2026
Responding to the Weiland suit, Boeing’s lawyers echoed the industry’s longtime position that the research into the health effects of fume events is inconclusive.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 22, 2025
Of course there were scientists who thought the evidence favoring DNA was inconclusive and preferred to believe that genes were protein molecules.
From "Double Helix" by James D. Watson
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.
