amorphous

[uh-mawr-fuhs]

adjective

1. lacking definite form; having no specific shape; formless.

   the amorphous clouds.

   Synonyms: anomalous, vague, undefined, shapeless

2. of no particular kind or character; indeterminate; having no pattern or structure; unorganized.

   an amorphous style; an amorphous personality.

   Synonyms: anomalous, vague, undefined, shapeless

3. Petrography, Mineralogy.,  occurring in a mass, as without stratification or crystalline structure.

4. Chemistry.,  not crystalline.

5. Biology.,  having structural components that are not clearly differentiated, as the nuclear material in certain bacteria.

amorphous

/ əˈmɔːfəs /

adjective

1. lacking a definite shape; formless

2. of no recognizable character or type

3. (of chemicals, rocks, etc) not having a crystalline structure

amorphous

1. Not made of crystals. Glass, amber, and plastics are amorphous substances.

2. Lacking definite form or shape.

Other Word Forms

• amorphously adverb
• amorphousness noun
• amorphism noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of amorphous¹

First recorded in 1725–35, amorphous is from the Greek word ámorphos shapeless. See a- ⁶, -morph, -ous

Word History and Origins

Origin of amorphous¹

C18: from New Latin, from Greek amorphos shapeless, from _a- ¹ + morphē shape

Example Sentences

What started as a serious but short-lived spike in inflation from 2021 to 2023 has evolved into something broader and more amorphous.

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“There’s barely a right angle on the entire property. Everything’s amorphous in shape.”

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“I don’t know if I could replicate it because I find that the algorithm is this kind of amorphous, ever-changing, mystical thing that no one can ever really crack,” James said.

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This year there is no title or theme, with curators Essence Harden and Paulina Pobocha relying on the work itself to shine a light on the amorphous nature of the city.

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“Verbiage, memes, targeting, crude humor and cultural references that are immediately available often telegraph motives for violent symbolic attacks, but can also be amorphous or disjointed,” he said.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• nebulous 
• vague