indiscernible

American  

[in-di-sur-nuh-buhl, -zur-] / ˌɪn dɪˈsɜr nə bəl, -ˈzɜr- /

adjective

1. not discernible; that cannot be seen or perceived clearly; imperceptible.

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indiscernible British  

/ ˌɪndɪˈsɜːnəbəl /

adjective

1. incapable of being discerned

2. scarcely discernible or perceptible

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Other Word Forms

• indiscernibility
  noun
• indiscernibleness
  noun
• indiscernibly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of indiscernible

First recorded in 1625–35; in- ³ + discernible

Explanation

Indiscernible things can't be seen or sensed clearly. A black cat is indiscernible in the dark, and the tiny amount of gray in your hair might also be indiscernible. Flavors are indiscernible if you can't taste them, and objects are indiscernible if you can't see them. Your next door neighbor's piano playing is also indiscernible if he plays quietly, with the windows shut so you can't hear. The adjective indiscernible adds the "not" or "opposite of" prefix in- to discernible, from its Latin root discernere, "to set apart," or "to distinguish."