noncommittal
Americanadjective
adjective
-
not involving or revealing commitment to any particular opinion or course of action
a noncommittal reply
-
rare having no outstanding quality, meaning, etc
Other Word Forms
- noncommittally adverb
Etymology
Origin of noncommittal
Explanation
When you want to keep all your options open, stay noncommittal. This means you say "maybe" and "I'll see if I can do that," rather than making promises to do specific things. It’s pretty easy to figure out the meaning of noncommittal just by picking apart the word. The non- prefix means “not.” And you see the word commit in noncommittal. So you know that the word is going to have something to do with “not commit.” You might also recognize the suffix -al, which is a tip-off that this word is an adjective that means "not being willing to commit."
Vocabulary lists containing noncommittal
Anti-Antonyms: Words Without Opposites
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "N"
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And Then There Were None
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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.
Publicly, many countries have been noncommittal to such an escort mission until hostilities cease, given the risks involved, including Iran’s placement of mines in the strait.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 15, 2026
Exor should net over $1 billion this year from the sale of Iveco, a maker of commercial vehicles, giving it more cash to buy back stock, though the company was noncommittal on buybacks in September.
From Barron's • Feb. 13, 2026
Observers noted that while the summit offered an opportunity for dialogue, the carefully staged statements, absence of press questions and noncommittal language highlighted the challenges of bridging the U.S. and Russian positions on Ukraine.
From Salon • Aug. 16, 2025
I’m noncommittal myself on whether Lerman delivers a serviceable performance or a strong one.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 24, 2025
The way he said his goal felt noncommittal, and I doubted he would follow through with it.
From "Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus" by Dusti Bowling
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.
