Softening language used to indicate uncertainty, openness to other views, or politeness — "I think," "perhaps," "it might be the case that," "correct me if I'm wrong, but…" Hedging is essential in collaborative discussion: it lowers the social cost of being wrong and invites correction. Over-hedging, however, undermines authority and signals lack of conviction; an engineer who hedges every technical claim sounds uncertain even when they're right. The skill is calibration: hedge when you're actually unsure, state plainly when you're not. Non-native English speakers often over-hedge as a politeness habit imported from their first language; their contributions get discounted as a result. Meeting copilots that analyze post-call communication patterns can help speakers see their own hedging frequency and decide whether to recalibrate.