Strategic vagueness
Uses deliberately ambiguous language so different readers read in different meanings.
Specimen
We will do whatever it takes to protect the interests of hardworking families.
Fabricated passage — teaching example designed for clarity.
strategic vagueness — 'whatever it takes' and 'hardworking families' can mean anything
Dissection
We will do whatever it takes to protect the interests of hardworking families.
- no specific commitment
- 'hardworking families' is undefined
- plausible deniability over the meaning
Field notes
- Family
- Rhetorical device
- Habitat
- political speeches, campaign coverage, policy announcements
- Frequency
- found in 14% of analyzed articles
- Confused with
- Weasel words , Appeal to inevitability
In the wild
"Our commitment to fairness is absolute. We will always do what's right for Britain."
Campaign coverage, national broadsheet, January 2026
"We stand ready to take bold action to secure the future of this industry."
Political reporting, regional daily, March 2026
Why it works
Vague language is a projection surface. Each reader fills in the meaning they want to hear — and the speaker can later claim they never promised what each listener understood.
Counter-move
Ask: what specifically will be done? For whom? By when?
See it flagged in real articles while you read.
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