Vague means unclear and without exact details. A vague answer, vague about the dates, a vague memory.
It can describe a statement that lacks detail or a person who does not focus: he is rather vague. Vaguely means slightly or in an unfocused way — vaguely familiar, vaguely aware — and is very common. Note that being vague is sometimes deliberate: a vague promise is one nobody can be held to, which is why vagueness is a recognised technique in politics and in contracts.
1adjectivevagueUnclear and without exact details.
“His directions were so vague that we got lost twice.”
synonyms: imprecise, woolly
2adjectivefocusingNot focusing, of a person.
“He is vague about everything except the dates of battles.”
vague is a quality of imprecision.
Latin vagus meant wandering — the same root as vagrant, vagabond and extravagant. A vague statement is one that wanders rather than arrives, which is a better picture than unclear gives.
Latin
vagus — uncertain, vague
Middle French
vague
English, today
vague
From Middle French vague, from Latin vagus (“uncertain, vague”) literally “wandering, rambling, strolling”.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA