nebulous

adjective

neb·​u·​lous ˈne-byə-ləs How to pronounce nebulous (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or resembling a nebula : nebular
2
: indistinct, vague
… this nebulous thing called jazz.Josef Woodard
… the nebulous region between mere suspicion and probable causeW. R. LaFave & J. H. Israel
The plan is too nebulous.
nebulously adverb
nebulousness noun

Did you know?

Nebulous may sound other-worldly—after all, it’s related to nebula, which refers to a distant galaxy or an interstellar cloud of gas or dust—but its mysteriousness is rooted in more earthly unknowns. Both words ultimately come from Latin nebula, meaning “mist, cloud,” and as far back as the 14th century nebulous could mean simply “cloudy” or “foggy.” Nebulous has since the late 17th century been the adjective correlating to nebula (as in “nebulous gas”), but the word is more familiar in its figurative use, where it describes things that are indistinct or vague, as when Jack London wrote of “ideas that were nebulous at best and that in reality were remembered sensations.”

Examples of nebulous in a Sentence

These philosophical concepts can be nebulous. made nebulous references to some major changes the future may hold
Recent Examples on the Web Still, the combination of failing to land a star and losing Thompson and Chris Paul leaves Golden State in a nebulous position. Justice Delos Santos, The Mercury News, 30 Sep. 2024 How to book While the Arlecchino can be chartered year-round by those willing to pay the (nebulous) fee, the Lombardy region rents it out twice a year for trips that are open to the public—the next of these travels from Milan to Genoa on November 3, 2024. Charlie Hobbs, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Sep. 2024 Meanwhile, broad squiggles in blue, orange, and yellow traverse the composition, lending a sense of motion to the scene; a cool green field of a woven check pattern grounds the nebulous scene in geometric regularity. The Editors Of Artnews, ARTnews.com, 19 Sep. 2024 In a first for the fashion industry, the FTC is arguing that the deal would allow Tapestry to dominate the much-more focused area of accessible luxury handbags, the exact definition of which remains somewhat nebulous. Evan Clark, WWD, 9 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for nebulous 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'nebulous.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin nebulosus misty, from nebula

First Known Use

1674, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of nebulous was in 1674

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near nebulous

Cite this Entry

“Nebulous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nebulous. Accessed 8 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

nebulous

adjective
neb·​u·​lous ˈneb-yə-ləs How to pronounce nebulous (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or resembling a nebula
2
: not clear or sharp : vague
nebulously adverb
nebulousness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on nebulous

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!