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indefinite

[ in-def-uh-nit ]
/ ɪnˈdɛf ə nɪt /
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See synonyms for: indefinite / indefinitely / indefiniteness on Thesaurus.com
adjective
not definite; without fixed or specified limit; unlimited: an indefinite number.
not clearly defined or determined; not precise or exact: an indefinite boundary; an indefinite date in the future.
Grammar.
  1. indefinite article.
  2. indefinite pronoun.
Botany.
  1. very numerous or not easily counted, as stamens.
  2. (of an inflorescence) indeterminate.
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Origin of indefinite

From the Latin word indēfīnītus, dating back to 1520–30. See in-3, definite

OTHER WORDS FROM indefinite

in·def·i·nite·ly, adverbin·def·i·nite·ness, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to indefinite

infinite, undefined, undetermined, unlimited, broad, confused, doubtful, dubious, equivocal, evasive, general, ill-defined, imprecise, indeterminable, indeterminate, indistinct, inexact, inexhaustible, innumerable, intangible

How to use indefinite in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for indefinite

indefinite
/ (ɪnˈdɛfɪnɪt) /
adjective
not certain or determined; unsettled
without exact limits; indeterminatean indefinite number
vague, evasive, or unclear
Also: indeterminate botany
  1. too numerous to countindefinite stamens
  2. capable of continued growth at the tip of the stem, which does not terminate in a floweran indefinite inflorescence

Derived forms of indefinite

indefiniteness, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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