noncommittal

adjective non·com·mit·tal \ ˌnän-kə-ˈmi-tᵊl \

Definition of noncommittal

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

play \ˌnän-kə-ˈmi-tᵊl-ē\ adverb

See noncommittal defined for English-language learners

See noncommittal defined for kids

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 of noncommittal from the Web

Asked about Bannon’s job security during a freewheeling press conference Tuesday at Trump Tower in New York, the president was noncommittal.

— joshua green, Bloomberg.com, "Bannon Says He’s ‘Going to War for Trump’ After White House Exit," 18 Aug. 2017
Panthers coach Ron Rivera was noncommittal on Newton’s status for Saturday’s exhibition against the Titans.

— joseph person, charlotteobserver, "Rusty Panthers QB Cam Newton gets a little work vs. Titans. Will he play Saturday?," 17 Aug. 2017
Payton was noncommittal whether Peterson would record a carry against the Browns.

— jeff duncan, NOLA.com, "Talking Saints, LSU and Morten Andersen: Dunc & Holder (8-7-17) rewind," 7 Aug. 2017
That’s a small victory given how uncertain an up-or-down vote would have been in the House, where moderates remain noncommittal.

— adam k. raymond, Daily Intelligencer, "House Approves $1.6 Billion for Border-Wall Construction," 27 July 2017
In addition to these senators, a number of others have remained noncommittal.

— pete grieve, CNN, "Crucial week for Republicans' plan for health care: What you need to know," 15 July 2017
A hustle block could lead into a floating, noncommittal offensive possession.

— rob mahoney, SI.com, "Grades: Under-The-Radar 2017 Free Agency Deals," 1 July 2017
More: Indiana's top Republicans noncommittal on Senate health care bill The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated Monday the bill would increase the number of people without health insurance by 22 million by 2026.

— maureen groppe, Indianapolis Star, "Donnelly pushes state to explain impact of proposed Medicaid cuts," 26 June 2017
Asked about her plans for next year, Cunliffe was noncommittal.

— ken goe, OregonLive.com, "Oregon Ducks Deajah Stevens and Ariana Washington race onto U.S. team for World Championships," 23 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'noncommittal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.