Penumbrous

//pɪˈnʌmbɹəs// adj

adj ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 1
    Partially shaded.

    "the penumbrous calm of the cathedral interior"

  2. 2
    Vague; ill-defined; unclear.

    "Yet such Commissions were awarded, and far more frequently than might be supposed in view of the infinitely wider gulf—both social and educational—which divided the eighteenth-century Officer from the rank and file, than the penumbrous border line which separates them today."

Example

More examples

"the penumbrous calm of the cathedral interior"

Etymology

From penumbra + -ous.

Related phrases

ill defined

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.