ENGLISH
REFERENCE

grey area

idiom
Meaning

An area intermediate between two mutually exclusive states or categories, where the border between the two is fuzzy or ill-defined.


Origin

disputed origin

Because grey is a blend of black and white.

Examples
SIMPLE

This rule is a grey area.

CONTEXTUAL

Whether freelancers qualify for benefits is a grey area that lawyers still debate.

COMPLEX

The law struggles to keep pace with technology, leaving most questions of online privacy in a troubling grey area.

Anchors to
Related idioms6entries
  1. 01

    get grey hair from

    To acquire great frustration, confusion, or anxiousness from (something or someone).

  2. 02

    give someone grey hair

    To give someone great frustration, confusion, or anxiousness.

  3. 03

    gray hat

    A morally ambiguous character; an antihero.

  4. 04

    grey cells

    Brains; a person's ability to think, especially referring to intelligence.

  5. 05

    grey matter

    Brains; a person's ability to think.

  6. 06

    grey power

    The collective political, economic, and social influence of senior citizens, especially when they are mobilized by a common interest.

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