inconclusive

[ in-kuhn-kloo-siv ]

adjective

1. not conclusive; not resolving fully all doubts or questions:

   inconclusive evidence.

2. without final results or outcome:

   inconclusive experiments.

inconclusive

/ ˌɪnkənˈkluːsɪv /

adjective

1. not conclusive or decisive; not finally settled; indeterminate

Derived Forms

• ˌinconˈclusively, adverb
• ˌinconˈclusiveness, noun

Other Words From

• incon·clusive·ly adverb
• incon·clusive·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of inconclusive¹

First recorded in 1680–90; in- ³ + conclusive

Example Sentences

A second opinion from James Andrews, a leading elbow expert, was inconclusive.

From Washington Post

Studies of natural disasters have been similarly inconclusive.

From Washington Post

An additional test taken Saturday morning “came back inconclusive” that night, he said, and Loeffler notified “those with whom she had sustained direct contact.”

From Washington Post

The most important limitation of the study, the researchers wrote, is that “the findings are inconclusive.”

From Popular-Science

The board will say whether the vaccine is effective, doesn’t work, or that the trial should continue because the results are inconclusive.

From Fortune

But the available evidence is inconclusive about the effect of a small increase.

From The Daily Beast

Indeed, the available evidence is inconclusive on what will happen to employment with an increase at these levels.

From The Daily Beast

The initial military autopsy on Deirdre came back inconclusive as to the cause of her death.

From The Daily Beast

“Uncertain,” “inconclusive,” “probably”—one would be alarmed to read such nervous gossip in a hack showbiz biog.

From The Daily Beast

Yet so far, these studies have yielded inconclusive results.

From The Daily Beast

His well-devised plan was defeated and the battle was as inconclusive as its predecessors.

From Project Gutenberg

And the same holds good of the other interesting but inconclusive parallels drawn by Dr. Cunliffe.

From Project Gutenberg

The drift towards independent labor politics, which many anticipate, also remains quite inconclusive.

From Project Gutenberg

For species on which I have few observations or rather inconclusive evidence, the circumstance of inadequate data is mentioned.

From Project Gutenberg

I thought that for a great lawyer, this style of proof was much too negative and inconclusive.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• ambiguous
• deficient
• incomplete
• uncertain
• unconvincing
• uneventful
• unsatisfactory
• unsettled
• vague