non-committal
/nɒnkəˈmɪt(ə)l
/adjective
Not expressing or revealing commitment to a definite opinion or course of action: her tone was non-committal, and her face gave nothing away...
- Most of them, I believe, are altogether vaguer, more non-committal, not so much insisting on the reality of heaven as refusing to believe in the finality of death.
- He said, ‘Now we must fight together against the Russians,’ and I gave him some non-committal answer.
- She did not speak unless spoken to, and even then her answers were short and non-committal.
Synonyms
evasive, equivocal, temporizing, guarded, circumspect, reserved;
cautious, wary, careful, prudent;
discreet, unrevealing, uncommunicative, politic, tactful, diplomatic, vague
informal cagey
prevaricate, give nothing away, play one's cards close to one's chest, straddle an issue, dodge the question/issue, sidestep the issue, hedge, fence, pussyfoot, beat about the bush, equivocate, temporize, shilly-shally, vacillate, waver;
British hum and haw
informal duck the question, sit on the fence
Derivatives
non-committally
/ adverb ...- ‘He looks a bit busy to me,’ Bella continued non-committally.
- ‘Mmm,’ she replied non-committally, but the radiant smile on her face showed that her demons were gone for the moment.
- The ability to play non-committally in the opening without incurring any disadvantage in doing so is a great asset, and he can and should delay his decisions until the other countries have committed themselves.