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

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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 During a radio appearance, Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones was noncommittal when asked whether the team plans to place a fifth-year option on Vander Esch. — Michael Gehlken, Dallas News, "Stephen Jones, Cowboys remain noncommittal about Leighton Vander Esch’s 5th-year option as deadline nears," 26 Apr. 2021 And Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration has been noncommittal. — John Byrne, chicagotribune.com, "Basic income plan to pay 5,000 Chicagoans $500 per month will head to City Council this week," 19 Apr. 2021 State legislative leaders have been more noncommittal about the bill. — Andrew J. Tobias, cleveland, "Cleveland, Ohio governments to get big money as part of new federal stimulus plan. How will they spend it?," 12 Mar. 2021 But the truth is, no matter how noncommittal a tone the Steelers and their GM take, the franchise finds itself at the mercy of Big Ben. — Mike Jones, USA TODAY, "Opinion: Despite noncommittal tone, Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves at Ben Roethlisberger's mercy," 22 Feb. 2021 But Democrats running in competitive Senate races last year were often noncommittal or opposed to court-packing. — W. James Antle Iii, Washington Examiner, "Left willing to sacrifice Democratic majority ramming agenda through," 16 Apr. 2021 Why, after laying out this concept, does the movie then give a whole other backstory to the Crab (Jason Bateman), a noncommittal henchman whose mutation is crustacean arms? — Alison Willmore, Vulture, "Melissa McCarthy Can’t Save the Day, or the Studio Comedy, in Thunder Force," 9 Apr. 2021 But Walz and Hortman are not on board, and Senate Leader Paul Gazelka has been noncommittal, making success unlikely this year. — Patrick Condon, Star Tribune, "Where big issues stand at the Minnesota Legislature," 8 Apr. 2021 If the pilot program is extended or expanded to other international destinations, United is noncommittal as to whether the tests will be free or carry a price like its Hawaii tests. — Dawn Gilbertson, USA TODAY, "United will give free airport COVID-19 tests on select flights to London: 'We have to show that it works'," 29 Oct. 2020

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.

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Dictionary Entries near noncommittal

noncommissioned

noncommissioned officer

Statistics for noncommittal

Last Updated

2 May 2021

Cite this Entry

“Noncommittal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/noncommittal. Accessed 7 May. 2021.

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More Definitions for noncommittal

noncommittal

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of noncommittal

: not telling or showing what you think about something

See the full definition for noncommittal in the English Language Learners Dictionary

noncommittal

adjective

non·com·mit·tal | \ ˌnän-kə-ˈmi-tᵊl

Kids Definition of noncommittal

: not revealing thoughts or decisions … her tone was so quiet and noncommittal that I knew Miss Crocker was not satisfied with her reaction.— Mildred D. Taylor, Roll of Thunder