hedged
Definition
- Adjective:
- Evasively worded to avoid a direct or unqualified statement: Describes language that is deliberately vague, indirect, or non-committal to escape making a clear, definitive claim or promise.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- The politician gave a hedged answer to avoid committing to a specific policy.
- Her hedged response, full of "maybes" and "depending on circumstances," frustrated the interviewers.
- The company's statement was carefully hedged to protect against future legal liability.
Advanced Usage
- "To be hedged": To be phrased with qualifications or conditions.
- His apology was so hedged with excuses that it seemed insincere.
- "Hedged language": A specific term for cautious, non-committal wording common in academic, diplomatic, or corporate communication.
- The scientific paper used hedged language like "it appears that" and "the data suggests" to acknowledge uncertainty.
Variants and Related Words
- Hedge (verb): To avoid making a direct statement; to limit or qualify (a statement or commitment).
- He hedged when asked about his future plans.
- Hedging (noun): The use of intentionally non-committal or ambiguous language.
- The diplomat's speech was a masterpiece of hedging.
Synonyms
- Qualified: Limited or modified by conditions or reservations.
- Non-committal: Not expressing or revealing commitment to a definite opinion or course of action.
- Evasive: Tending to avoid commitment or self-revelation, especially by responding only indirectly.
Related Phrases
- Hedge one's bets: To reduce one's risk by supporting more than one possible outcome.
- She's hedging her bets by applying to several different universities. (Note: This idiom relates to the financial/original meaning of 'hedge' but is commonly used.)
Related Idioms
- To sit on the fence: To avoid making a decision or choice.
- Stop sitting on the fence and give us a straight answer! (This idiom is conceptually similar to being hedged in communication.)
Adjective
-
evasively worded in order to avoid an unqualified statement
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