indifference

[in-dif-er-uhns, -dif-ruhns]

noun

1. lack of interest or concern.

   We were shocked by their indifference toward poverty.

   Antonyms: responsiveness, eagerness

2. unimportance; little or no concern.

   Whether or not to attend the party is a matter of indifference to him.

3. the quality or condition of being indifferent.

4. mediocre quality; mediocrity.

5. Baseball.,  the absence of effort by the defense to prevent a stolen base.

   For the second time this inning, a Brewer has taken second base on indifference.

indifference

/ ɪnˈdɪfrəns, -fərəns /

noun

1. the fact or state of being indifferent; lack of care or concern

2. lack of quality; mediocrity

3. lack of importance; insignificance

4. See principle of indifference

Other Word Forms

• superindifference noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of indifference¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, variant of indifferency, from Latin indifferentia; indifferent, -ence, -ency

Synonym Study

Indifference, unconcern, listlessness, apathy, insensibility all imply lack of feeling. Indifference denotes an absence of feeling or interest; unconcern, an absence of concern or solicitude, a calm or cool indifference in the face of what might be expected to cause uneasiness or apprehension; listlessness, an absence of inclination or interest, a languid indifference to what is going on about one; apathy, a profound intellectual and emotional indifference suggestive of faculties either naturally sluggish or dulled by emotional disturbance, mental illness, or prolonged sickness; insensibility, an absence of capacity for feeling or of susceptibility to emotional influences.

Example Sentences

In the course of his research, Mr. Quinones came to admire the independence of tuba players, the way they remain undaunted in the face of the “disdain or indifference” of their peers.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The caricature of corporate America is heartless indifference, but Paul Gigot and Rupert Murdoch were there for my family and me.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Great success demands an indifference to the rules.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Historically, the stock market has shown indifference to government shutdowns, with the S&P 500 rising more often than falling during past events.

Read more on Barron's

She finds only cold indifference, which, again, could be more a product of her own sense of alienation and desperation.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• alienation 
• apathy 
• callousness 
• carelessness 
• disdain 
• disinterest 
• disregard 
• inattention 
• inertia 
• insensitivity www.thesaurus.com
• lack 
• negligence 
• nonchalance