WordValevagueness
lack of precision or clarity
In more detail
1. (noun) the quality of being unclear, imprecise, or not specific enough to understand easily
2. (noun) the state of being uncertain or doubtful about something
Examples
- 1. The vagueness of his instructions made it difficult for the team to complete the task correctly.
- 2. There was some vagueness in her memory about what happened that night.
How to use vagueness
Vagueness refers to the quality of being unclear or imprecise, whether in communication, memory, or understanding. It can be unintentional (lack of clarity due to poor communication) or sometimes deliberate (avoiding specifics). It differs from ambiguity in that ambiguity implies multiple possible interpretations, while vagueness simply lacks sufficient detail.
Common phrases
- lack of vagueness
- air of vagueness
- vagueness in language
- vagueness about details
- descend into vagueness
- deliberate vagueness
Synonyms
ambiguity · obscurity · imprecision · indefiniteness · haziness
Opposites
clarity · precision · specificity
Word family
vague (adjective) · vaguely (adverb) · vaguish (adjective, rare)
A common mistake
Learners sometimes use 'vagueness' to mean ambiguity, but vagueness is about lack of detail or precision, not multiple meanings.
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