Vagues

Part of speech: noun, adjective

Definitions

1. Indistinct or unclear in meaning or form; characterized by a lack of definite shape or boundaries; relating to undulating movements resembling waves
2. Lacking precision or clarity and often perceived as hazy or ambiguous; marked by shifting or flowing motions similar to water surges; having outlines or limits that are not sharply defined
3. Uncertain or indefinite in expression or appearance; associated with rhythmic rising and falling patterns akin to those seen in bodies of water; displaying a blurred or soft contour without exact edges

Etymology: "Vagues" is the third-person singular present form of the verb "vague," meaning something like "to make or become indistinct," so its history is that of "vague" itself. The adjective traces back to Latin "vagus," which meant "wandering, rambling, strolling," a sense that describes someone with no fixed course. The Latin word passed into Middle French as "vague," where it kept the idea of roaming before it came to describe things without clear edges. The move from wandering to indistinctness is the heart of the story. A road or a mind that wanders has no firm destination, and that lack of direction carried over to speech, thought and shape: a vague answer or a vague outline is one that wanders away from precise definition. The same root gave English "vagrant" and "vagabond," words that keep the original image of a person on the move.

Synonyms: uncertainties, ambiguities, obscurities, hazy ideas

Antonyms: clarities, certainties, precisions