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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Vocabulary from "Stop Expecting Games to Build Empathy" by Julie Muncy
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Double Helix
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
When German Chancellor Friedrich Merz finally rose to power in May 2025 after years of political failure and an inconclusive election, he already faced what looked like an impossible situation.
From Salon ● Aug. 23, 2026
After an initial experiment with inconclusive results, he asked me, as a quantum theorist, for help in working out what to expect.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 4, 2026
The seven rocky worlds of TRAPPIST-1 remain tantalising, too: Nasa's James Webb Space Telescope ruled out an Earth-like atmosphere on TRAPPIST-1d, while TRAPPIST-1e's data stay frustratingly inconclusive.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
Last week, Tehran and Washington signed a memorandum of understanding laying the groundwork for the negotiations, after a 40-day war that was followed by weeks of an inconclusive and oft-breached ceasefire.
From Barron's ● Jun. 22, 2026
Early twin studies were thus confounded by this confusion, leading to inconclusive results.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
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.
