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 of noncommittal

• neutral
• boring
• nondescript
• characterless
• beige
• tiring

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

In our first exchanges, my noncommittal 10-word texts prompted hundreds of words in response, much of them sycophantic. —Amogh Dimri, The Atlantic, 2 Jan. 2026

Part of me even suspects the real reason the finale was so noncommittal about Mike and Eleven and their friends’ fates is so the powers that be can just write them back in as needed. —Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 1 Jan. 2026

Trump, meanwhile, has remained publicly noncommittal. —Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 28 Dec. 2025

Staple gave a noncommittal response in an Instagram comment for a post outlining the suspicions. —Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 11 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1829, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for noncommittal

• prehospital
• acquittal
• belittle
• committal
• hospital
• submittal
• transmittal
• brittle
• kittel
• kittle
• little
• spital

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