indifferent

[in-dif-er-uhnt, -dif-ruhnt]

adjective

1. without interest or concern; not caring; apathetic.

   his indifferent attitude toward the suffering of others.

2. having no bias, prejudice, or preference; impartial; disinterested.

3. neither good nor bad in character or quality; average; routine.

   an indifferent specimen.

4. not particularly good, important, etc.; unremarkable; unnotable.

   an indifferent success; an indifferent performance.

   Synonyms: commonplace, uninspired, undistinguished, mediocre

5. of only moderate amount, extent, etc.

6. not making a difference, or mattering, one way or the other.

7. immaterial or unimportant.

8. not essential or obligatory, as an observance.

9. making no difference or distinction, as between persons or things.

   indifferent justice.

10. neutral in chemical, electric, or magnetic quality.

11. Biology.,  not differentiated or specialized, as cells or tissues.

noun

1. an ethically or morally indifferent act.

2. a person who is indifferent, especially in matters of religion or politics.

adverb

1. Archaic.,  indifferently.

   I am indifferent well.

indifferent

/ ɪnˈdɪfrənt, -fərənt /

adjective

1. (often foll by to) showing no care or concern; uninterested

   he was indifferent to my pleas

2. unimportant; immaterial

3. 1. of only average or moderate size, extent, quality, etc

   2. not at all good; poor

4. showing or having no preferences; impartial

5. biology

   1. (of cells or tissues) not differentiated or specialized

   2. (of a species) not found in any particular community

Other Word Forms

• indifferently adverb
• quasi-indifferent adjective
• quasi-indifferently adverb
• superindifferent adjective
• superindifferently adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of indifferent¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English (adjective), from Latin indifferent-, stem of indifferēns; equivalent to in- ³ + different

Word History and Origins

Origin of indifferent¹

C14: from Latin indifferēns making no distinction

Example Sentences

House of Guinness has already been compared to the likes of Succession, The Crown and Peaky Blinders but Knight is indifferent about how people compare it.

From BBC

With Netflix broadcasting the bout globally, a win could make Crawford the face of boxing, even if he remains indifferent to the idea, with his focus on other matters.

From BBC

“DOGE was completely indifferent to the effect their actions had on human beings,” said Barnett Rubin, an Afghanistan expert who has served as a senior adviser for the United Nations and State Department.

From Salon

This novel is not for the intellectually indifferent.

From Los Angeles Times

Other residents said they were indifferent to the new plan, saying the Israeli military already had control over their lives.

From BBC

Related Words

• aloof 
• apathetic 
• callous 
• detached 
• diffident 
• disinterested 
• distant 
• haughty 
• heartless 
• impartial 
• impervious 
• inattentive 
• neutral 
• nonchalant 
• uncaring www.thesaurus.com
• unconcerned 
• uninvolved 
• unresponsive 
• unsympathetic