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definitions

noncommittal

[ non-kuh-mit-l ]
/ ˌnɒn kəˈmɪt l /
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adjective

not committing oneself, or not involving committal, to a particular view, course, or the like: The senator gave us a noncommittal answer.

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RELATED WORDS

balanced, compromising, ambiguous, cautious, tactful, equivocal, wary, neutral, discreet, circumspect, evasive, judicious, careful, vague, reticent, composed, serene, soft-spoken, taciturn, quiet

Nearby words

noncombustible, noncomedogenic, noncommercial, noncommissioned, noncommissioned officer, noncommittal, noncommunicable, noncommunicant, noncommunicating hydrocephalus, noncommunist, noncompetitive

Origin of noncommittal

An Americanism dating back to 1820–30; non- + committal
Related formsnon·com·mit·tal·ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for non-committal

British Dictionary definitions for non-committal

noncommittal

/ (ˌnɒnkəˈmɪtəl) /

adjective

not involving or revealing commitment to any particular opinion or course of actiona noncommittal reply
rare having no outstanding quality, meaning, etc
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for non-committal

non-committal

adj.

also noncommittal, 1829, "characterized by refusal to commit oneself," from non- + committal (see commit).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper