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Synonyms

inconclusive

American  
[in-kuhn-kloo-siv] / ˌɪn kənˈklu sɪv /

adjective

  1. not conclusive; not resolving fully all doubts or questions.

    inconclusive evidence.

  2. without final results or outcome.

    inconclusive experiments.
inconclusive British  
/ ˌɪnkənˈkluːsɪv /

adjective

  1. not conclusive or decisive; not finally settled; indeterminate

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • inconclusively adverb
  • inconclusiveness noun

Etymology

Origin of inconclusive

First recorded in 1680–90; in- 3 + conclusive

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

A leadership change and inconclusive evidence of artificial-intelligence momentum left Adobe investors with more questions than answers after Thursday’s earnings report.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 13, 2026

Independent polling has painted an inconclusive picture about which Democratic candidate would be more competitive in November.

From Salon • Mar. 2, 2026

The finale of “It Was Just an Accident” is disturbingly inconclusive.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 17, 2026

Immigration agents needed to run the suspect’s various forms of ID through different systems, and if the results were inconclusive, book the person into custody for further investigation.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 5, 2026

Of course there were scientists who thought the evidence favoring DNA was inconclusive and preferred to believe that genes were protein molecules.

From "Double Helix" by James D. Watson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.