indeterminable
Americanadjective
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not determinable; incapable of being ascertained.
-
incapable of being decided or settled.
adjective
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incapable of being ascertained
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incapable of being settled
Other Word Forms
- indeterminableness noun
- indeterminably adverb
Etymology
Origin of indeterminable
From the Late Latin word indēterminābilis, dating back to 1480–90. See in- 3, determinable
Explanation
The adjective indeterminable describes something that can't be known for sure, like what grade you would’ve gotten on a paper you never turned in. To determine is to calculate something, make a final decision, or to be sure. Something that's indeterminable is none of these — it’s not able to be determined. Maybe you need more information or better math skills. The grade you would’ve gotten on a paper you didn’t write is indeterminable, but if you’re lucky your teacher will give you an extension. Then that shining “C” is all yours!
Vocabulary lists containing indeterminable
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.
“When this project initially comes online, there likely won’t actually be any hydrogen in the mix, so we’ll still just be burning 100% methane for potentially an indeterminable amount of time.”
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 29, 2025
Six months after Evan Gershkovich was arrested by Russian security services, accused of espionage and sent to a notoriously harsh Moscow prison, his family is steeling for an indeterminable wait.
From New York Times • Sep. 29, 2023
To Harriet’s dismay, Wikipedia describes her homeland as “an alleged nation state of indeterminable geographic location.”
From Slate • Mar. 6, 2019
During the original investigation, the Galveston medical examiner, William Korndorffer, had declared Beason’s cause of death indeterminable; but Gill-King took one look at her remains and saw that her bones had never been properly cleaned.
From The Guardian • Jun. 12, 2018
Later, she returned with cooked indeterminable meat, which she left at his feet.
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
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.
