uncountable
Americanadjective
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not countable; incapable of having the total precisely ascertained.
uncountable colonies of bacteria; uncountable kindnesses and small favors.
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indefinitely large in number; infinite.
the uncountable days of eternity.
adjective
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too many to be counted; innumerable
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linguistics denoting a noun that does not refer to an isolable object See mass noun
Etymology
Origin of uncountable
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at un- 1, countable
Explanation
Things that are uncountable are too numerous to be calculated or added up, like the uncountable stars in the sky. Some things are clearly uncountable, like the infinite digits in the number pi or the blades of grass in your town park. There's literally no way you could possibly count them all. Other things could theoretically be tallied, but they're still uncountable — at least metaphorically. If you're totally overwhelmed by a huge surprise birthday party, the crowds of guests might seem uncountable, leaving you longing for a quiet celebration with your two best friends.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Uncountable numbers of William & Mary students worked their way through college there, not to mention augmented their diet with $1 bags of “ends,” or bread trimmings left over from sandwich-making.
From Washington Post • Dec. 18, 2021
Uncountable numbers have been left over from the Big Bang birth of the cosmos 13.8 billion years ago.
From The Guardian • Nov. 4, 2017
Uncountable and worldwide are his surviving "old pals," for his acquaintances became "my old pals" on sight.
From Time Magazine Archive
Uncountable thousands are in town on a rainy Saturday browsing and buying at Anne Klein, Ralph Lauren and Timberland.
From Time Magazine Archive
The infinite shining heavens Rose and I saw in the night Uncountable angel stars Showering sorrow and light.
From The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson - Swanston Edition Vol. 14 (of 25) by Stevenson, Robert Louis
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
