indifferent
Americanadjective
-
without interest or concern; not caring; apathetic.
his indifferent attitude toward the suffering of others.
-
having no bias, prejudice, or preference; impartial; disinterested.
-
neither good nor bad in character or quality; average; routine.
an indifferent specimen.
-
not particularly good, important, etc.; unremarkable; unnotable.
an indifferent success; an indifferent performance.
- Synonyms:
- commonplace, uninspired, undistinguished, mediocre
-
of only moderate amount, extent, etc.
-
not making a difference, or mattering, one way or the other.
-
immaterial or unimportant.
-
not essential or obligatory, as an observance.
-
making no difference or distinction, as between persons or things.
indifferent justice.
-
neutral in chemical, electric, or magnetic quality.
-
Biology. not differentiated or specialized, as cells or tissues.
noun
-
an ethically or morally indifferent act.
-
a person who is indifferent, especially in matters of religion or politics.
adverb
adjective
-
(often foll by to) showing no care or concern; uninterested
he was indifferent to my pleas
-
unimportant; immaterial
-
-
of only average or moderate size, extent, quality, etc
-
not at all good; poor
-
-
showing or having no preferences; impartial
-
biology
-
(of cells or tissues) not differentiated or specialized
-
(of a species) not found in any particular community
-
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of indifferent
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English (adjective), from Latin indifferent-, stem of indifferēns; equivalent to in- 3 + different
Explanation
If you're indifferent about something, you don't care much about it one way or another. You might feel indifferent about politics, changing the channel whenever the TV news comes on. People seem indifferent when they're obviously unconcerned — an indifferent observer of a tennis match is clearly not rooting for either player, and an indifferent voter might choose a candidate at the last minute by flipping a coin. A slightly less common meaning of indifferent is "unbiased or impartial," which you can see in its root, the Old French indifferent, or "impartial." In this sense of the word, we all hope our laws and legal system are indifferent.
Vocabulary lists containing indifferent
Emotions on Display
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!
In the Mood? 100 Words to Describe Emotions
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!
Wonder
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
This is not the work of a justice indifferent to slavery or unmoved by the constitutional catastrophe of Dred Scott.
From Slate ● Jul. 2, 2026
“Nothing suggested that the project would falsely accuse Ms. Banks of covering up a sexual assault, or being indifferent to what a contestant characterizes as a traumatic experience.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026
Jamie Smith and Atkinson each have work to do after indifferent performances in Australia, and their stand of 57 was vital.
From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2026
Oil investors are not indifferent to governance when it affects capital allocation.
From Barron's ● May 27, 2026
“You’ve been pretending that nothing happened. It’s as if you’ve blocked it out of your mind. You’ve been indifferent, gallivanting around with James despite these secrets hanging around your neck.”
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
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.
