unclear documents

USAGE SUMMARY

"unclear documents" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use this phrase when referring to documents that are difficult to read or make sense of. For example, "I cannot understand or use these documents because there are many unclear sections."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

The CFPB has rolled out two alternative, two-page mortgage disclosure forms to replace longer, unclear documents in current use.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

Because high latitude environments are experiencing rapid rates of change, and the distribution of POWV in North America is unclear, documenting potential sylvatic hosts of this pathogen is critical to evaluating its capacity to emerge into human populations.

Emerging Infectious Diseases

However, we encountered many instances of incomplete, ambiguous, and unclear documentation in the chart documents in a manner that appears to have been experienced by other researchers who have tried to document antibiotic timing[ 3, 4, 8, 9, 13, 15, 19, 20].

BMC Medical Research Methodology

While much of the property seized has since been returned, it remains unclear which documents have yet to be returned and which documents still remain in the possession of these security officials.

Huffington Post

Part of Mr. O'Donnell's request was denied, his office said; it is unclear what documents were withheld or why.

The New York Times - Arts

It is unclear what documents he was using.

BBC

It was unclear what document the immigration authorities wanted.

The New York Times

Despite its importance, little is known regarding the global genetic structure of this species; therefore, it is unclear whether documented variation in toxin production and outbreaks of ciguatera are the result of ecological triggers or the presence of different genetic strains across the geographic range of G. toxicus.

Harmful Algae

If any of this information could not be determined from study description, "unclear" was documented.

BMC Infectious Diseases

It is unclear how the documents made their way to the group.

The New York Times

It was unclear how the documents, if confirmed as authentic, could have been obtained.

The Washington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When referencing legal documents, use "ambiguous" rather than "unclear" to convey legal nuance.

Common error

Avoid assuming that "unclear documents" are necessarily false or misleading; they may simply be poorly written or require specialized knowledge to understand.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "unclear documents" functions as an adjective-noun combination, where "unclear" modifies the noun "documents". This phrase identifies documents that are difficult to understand or interpret.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

45%

Formal & Business

5%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "unclear documents" is a common and grammatically correct way to describe documents that are difficult to understand. As Ludwig AI explains, this phrase appears frequently in news and scientific contexts. When using this phrase, it's helpful to provide specific details about why the documents are unclear. Consider alternatives like "ambiguous documents" or "vague documents" to better convey the intended meaning. Avoid assuming malicious intent simply because documents are unclear.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

difficult to understand documents

Rephrases "unclear documents" into a more descriptive phrase, emphasizing the difficulty in understanding.

ambiguous documents

Replaces "unclear" with "ambiguous", emphasizing the multiple possible interpretations of the documents.

vague documents

Replaces "unclear" with "vague", highlighting the lack of specific details in the documents.

incomprehensible documents

Replaces "unclear" with "incomprehensible", stressing the difficulty in understanding the documents.

confusing documents

Replaces "unclear" with "confusing", focusing on the documents' ability to disorient the reader.

obscure documents

Replaces "unclear" with "obscure", suggesting the documents are hidden or not easily discovered or understood.

imprecise documents

Replaces "unclear" with "imprecise", pointing out the lack of accuracy or detail in the documents.

illegible documents

Replaces "unclear" with "illegible", indicating the documents are difficult or impossible to read due to poor handwriting or printing.

poorly written documents

Replaces "unclear" with a description of the documents' quality, focusing on the writing itself.

poorly documented information

Shifts the focus from the documents themselves to the information they contain, emphasizing poor documentation.

FAQs

How can I use "unclear documents" in a sentence?

You can say, "The investigation was hampered by the presence of /s/unclear+documents" target="_blank" rel="nofollow", making it difficult to ascertain the truth".

What's the difference between "unclear documents" and /s/ambiguous+documents" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">ambiguous documents?

"Unclear documents" generally lack clarity, while /s/ambiguous+documents" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">ambiguous documents can be interpreted in multiple ways. Ambiguity implies multiple possible meanings, whereas lack of clarity suggests a general absence of understanding.

What can I say instead of "unclear documents"?

Depending on the context, you could use "vague documents", "confusing documents", or /s/poorly+written+documents" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">poorly written documents.

What makes documents "unclear"?

Documents can be "unclear" due to various reasons, such as poor language, missing information, technical jargon, or disorganized formatting.