noncommittal

[ non-kuh-mit-l ]
/ ˌnɒn kəˈmɪt l /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR noncommittal ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

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

QUIZZES

CHALLENGE YOURSELF WITH THESE WORDS FROM "LITTLE WOMEN"

"Little Women" may be a classic, but that doesn't mean we all know the meanings of the vocab words from the book. Can you define these words correctly and make Jo proud?
Question 1 of 10
earnest
full seriousness, as of intention or purpose.
a feeling of dread, anxiety, or anguish.
urgent character; imperativeness; insistence; importunateness.
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Origin of noncommittal

An Americanism dating back to 1820–30; non- + committal

OTHER WORDS FROM noncommittal

non·com·mit·tal·ly, adverb

Words nearby noncommittal

noncombustible, noncomedogenic, noncommercial, noncommissioned, noncommissioned officer, noncommittal, noncommunicable, noncommunicant, noncommunicating hydrocephalus, noncommunist, noncompetitive
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to noncommittal

ambiguous, cautious, tactful, equivocal, wary, neutral, discreet, circumspect, evasive, judicious, careful, vague, guarded, hush-hush, indefinite, middle-of-the-road, politic, reserved, restrained, tentative

Example sentences from the Web for noncommittal

British Dictionary definitions for noncommittal

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