Nebulous
/ˈnɛbjʊləs/noun
Vague, hazy, or unclear; resembling a cloud or mist.
Did you know?It comes from Latin *nebula* meaning “cloud” or “mist,” the same root behind scientific words like *nebula* in astronomy, where stars are born inside glowing clouds of gas and dust.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*nebh-
“mist, cloud, dampness”
Latin
Latin
nebula
“mist, vapor, cloud”
Late Latin
Latin
nebulosus
“cloudy, misty, full of clouds”
14th Century
English
nebulous
“cloudy, misty; figuratively obscure or vague”
Modern English
English
nebulous
“vague, indistinct, or hazy in meaning or form”