indefinitely
Americanadverb
-
without any imposed limit in time; from now on, for an unspecified period; without a specified end.
-
in a vague or nonspecific way; without identifying any particulars.
adverb
Explanation
Use the adverb indefinitely to describe something that happens for an unlimited amount of time or to an unlimited extent. Kittens could bat around a ball of string indefinitely. When your cousin postpones her wedding indefinitely after her fiancé’s “business trip” to Las Vegas, you probably want to hold off on buying a gift. They may work things out, but sometimes people intend indefinitely to be synonymous with forever. Like, “We can’t keep fighting over that weekend I spent in Las Vegas indefinitely…”
Vocabulary lists containing indefinitely
Holes
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"Curtis Aikens and the American Dream" and "Go For It!"
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Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie
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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.
Hundreds of schools have been closed indefinitely in West Kalimantan due to air pollution, with about 200,000 pupils learning from home, according to the education ministry.
From Barron's ● Sep. 6, 2026
In April, Kushner formed Thrive Eternal, a vehicle to buy unique businesses and hold on to them indefinitely.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 30, 2026
Once a minimum term has been served, the prisoner can be released only once the Parole Board is satisfied they no longer need to be confined for public safety, meaning many are being held indefinitely.
From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2026
But this "buffer effect" cannot continue indefinitely and is expected to be followed by faster losses.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 20, 2026
It might have lasted indefinitely except for the fact that Ella Kaye came on board one night in Boston and a week later Dan Cody inhospitably died.
From " The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald
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.
