noncommittal

adjective

non·​com·​mit·​tal ˌnän-kə-ˈmi-tᵊl 

1

: giving no clear indication of attitude or feeling

a noncommittal reply

He was noncommittal about how the money would be spent.

2

: having no clear or distinctive character

a noncommittal word which might be used of anything from babies to furnaces

—J. C. Swaim

noncommittally

ˌnän-kə-ˈmi-tᵊl-ē 

adverb

Synonyms

• beige
• characterless
• faceless
• featureless
• indistinctive
• neutral
• nondescript
• vanilla

Examples of noncommittal in a Sentence

She would only give noncommittal answers about her plans.

The president remained noncommittal, saying only that all options would be considered.

Recent Examples on the Web

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was noncommittal when asked Thursday whether Biden will commute sentences for individuals on federal death row. —Joey Garrison, USA TODAY, 13 Dec. 2024

So far, Republican senators have been noncommittal about Kennedy's nomination. —Caitlin Owens, Axios, 21 Nov. 2024

Others, including Sweden and Norway, were also noncommittal. —Max Burman, NBC News, 22 Nov. 2024

Canales was noncommittal on whether the starters would play in the exhibition finale next weekend at Buffalo. —Joseph Person, The Athletic, 17 Aug. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1829, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

noncommittal

adjective

non·​com·​mit·​tal ˌnän-kə-ˈmit-ᵊl 

: not telling or showing what a person thinks or has decided

a noncommittal answer

noncommittally

-ᵊl-ē 

adverb