noncommittal

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

Also spelled non-committal

US /ˌnɑnkəˈmɪtl̩/ UK /ˌnɒnkəˈmɪtl̩/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

adj
not revealing one's opinion or intentions

She gave a noncommittal shrug when asked if she would run.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · not revealing one's opinion... evasive reserved guarded ambiguous cautious equivocal vague

Opposites

decisive forthright committal definite

Word family

Forms noncommittally

Derived forms noncommittally

Related forms commit commitment committal

Etymology

From non- ('not') + committal, from commit, from Latin committere ('to bring together, entrust'), from com- ('together') + mittere ('to send').

committere Latin mittere Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# noncommittal

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˌnɑnkəˈmɪtl̩/
**IPA (UK):** /ˌnɒnkəˈmɪtl̩/

## Meanings
1. not revealing one's opinion or intentions

## Examples
- She gave a noncommittal shrug when asked if she would run.

## Synonyms
- evasive
- reserved
- guarded
- ambiguous
- cautious
- equivocal
- vague

## Antonyms
- decisive
- forthright
- committal
- definite

## Derived Forms
- noncommittally

## Related Forms
- commit
- commitment
- committal

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: committere
- Root: mittere - to send

## Etymology
From non- ('not') + committal, from commit, from Latin committere ('to bring together, entrust'), from com- ('together') + mittere ('to send').

## AI Etymology
Noncommittal comes from non- ('not') + committal, from commit, from Latin committere ('to bring together, entrust'), from com- ('together') + mittere ('to send'). The etymological trail includes Latin committere, Latin mittere. The same word family includes noncommittally, commit, commitment, committal. Its current adjective use means "not revealing one's opinion or intentions".

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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