indeterminable
Americanadjective
-
not determinable; incapable of being ascertained.
-
incapable of being decided or settled.
adjective
-
incapable of being ascertained
-
incapable of being settled
Other Word Forms
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, measure, define, or decide something with certainty. Something that's indeterminable cannot be determined. It's not just a matter of "we don't know yet." Instead, it usually means that the system, data, or logic itself prevents a clear answer from ever being found. Vague language in a legal contract might be so ambiguous that a court cannot determine its true intent. The truth or falseness of a statement such as "This statement is false" can never be determined: If it's true, it's false; if it's false, it's true.
Vocabulary lists containing indeterminable
Commonly Confused Words, List 5
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Free Verse Society
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
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.
Sean and I shoved her rompers and sleep sacks into a backpack, rummaged through our clothes and grabbed enough underwear for an indeterminable amount of time away.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 28, 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
Voting is everyone’s civic duty, but it can also be a disillusioning process: the long lines, all the choices that seem to boil down to the lesser of two evils, the indeterminable results.
From Slate ● Mar. 10, 2020
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
But an indeterminable pull anchored her where she stood.
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
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.
