onduidelijke

Onduidelijke is a Dutch adjective meaning not clear, unclear, or ambiguous. It is used to describe information, statements, instructions, or situations that lack clarity or thorough explanation. The term is formed with the negating prefix on- attached to duidelijk (clear). In usage, it often signals that further precision or evidence is needed.

Grammatically, onduidelijke functions as a descriptive modifier before a noun, for example de onduidelijke uitleg or een onduidelijke situatie. It can also appear in predicative position, as in Het is onduidelijk, meaning “It is unclear.” The related noun onduidelijkheid denotes lack of clarity or ambiguity.

In context, onduidelijke is common in journalism, law, education, and everyday speech to flag incompleteness or uncertainty. It is often paired with nouns such as informatie, uitleg, instructies, or beleid to indicate that those elements do not meet a required level of clarity. The term carries a slightly stronger connotation of ambiguity than vaag, which translates more lightly to “vague.”

Etymology traces to the prefix on- meaning negation plus duidelijk, from Dutch roots meaning clear. Related terms include onduidelijkheid (the noun form for lack of clarity), duidelijk (clear), and vaag (vague). In translation, onduidelijk corresponds to the English unclear or obscure, depending on context.

Examples: De oorzaak is onduidelijk. Er is onduidelijke informatie beschikbaar. De onduidelijke instructies hebben tot fouten geleid.