non-committalismn.
/ˌnɒnkəˈmɪtl̩ɪz(ə)m/, /ˌnɒnkəˈmɪtəlɪz(ə)m/, U.S. /ˌnɑnkəˈmɪdlˌɪz(ə)m/ Originally and chiefly U.S.
The action, practice, policy, or state of remaining non-committal.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > judgement or decision > absence of prejudice > [noun] > absence of definite stance
neutralitya1513
neutralism1579
neutralizing1643
third place1757
non-committal1833
non-committalism1838
fence-ridinga1859
non-partisanship1875
middle of the road1891
fence-sitting1904
value freedom1959
1838 U.S. Mag. & Democratic Rev. 1 52 The Democratic party was determined to explore at least that portion of the plan of their opponents which involved a present non-committalism on the question of a National Bank.
1859 J. R. Bartlett Dict. Americanisms (ed. 2) s.v. (citing N.Y. Commercial Advertiser) On many points he..expresses his opinion with so many qualifications as to subject himself to the charge of non-committalism.
1891 Rev. of Reviews May 456/1 An agnostic non-committalism.
1905 Amer. Hist. Rev 184 Mr. Rhodes is sometimes criticized as cautious and non-committal... But on the whole the charge of non-committalism is unjust.
1962 Amer. Lit. 34 184 Hawthorne here is his usually detached self, but this artistic distance is not noncommittalism.
1989 Amer. Speech 64 177 The exchange of information in this idiom is intimately linked to noncommittalism, avoidance of affront, and a cultural concept called hepatra (the causing of shame).
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2003; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1838