grey area

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English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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Because grey is a blend of black and white, and thus a metaphor for how an imperfect nature is a blend of perfection and perfidy.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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grey area (plural grey areas)

  1. (idiomatic) An area intermediate between two mutually exclusive states or categories, where the border between the two is fuzzy or ill-defined.
    It exists in a grey area between legal and illegal.
  2. (idiomatic) A topic that is not clearly one thing or the other, that is open to interpretation.
    • 2007 May, Men's Health, volume 22, number 4, page 94:
      Fame is a grey area[.]

Synonyms

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  • (an area intermediate between two mutually exclusive states or categories): penumbra
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Translations

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See also

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