indiscernible

American  

[in-di-sur-nuh-buhl, -zur-] / ˌɪn dɪˈsɜr nə bəl, -ˈzɜr- /

adjective

1. not discernible; that cannot be seen or perceived clearly; imperceptible.

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indiscernible British  

/ ˌɪndɪˈsɜːnəbəl /

adjective

1. incapable of being discerned

2. scarcely discernible or perceptible

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Other Word Forms

• indiscernibility noun
• indiscernibleness noun
• indiscernibly adverb

Etymology

Origin of indiscernible

First recorded in 1625–35; in- ³ + discernible

Explanation

Indiscernible things can't be seen or sensed clearly. A black cat is indiscernible in the dark, and the tiny amount of gray in your hair might also be indiscernible. Flavors are indiscernible if you can't taste them, and objects are indiscernible if you can't see them. Your next door neighbor's piano playing is also indiscernible if he plays quietly, with the windows shut so you can't hear. The adjective indiscernible adds the "not" or "opposite of" prefix in- to discernible, from its Latin root discernere, "to set apart," or "to distinguish."

Example Sentences

Whether it’s someone who’s too toned, too well traveled, too rich, or too symmetrical, the ones to beat are indiscernible from the ones to bot.

From Slate • Jan. 7, 2026

At close distances, the two sounds are almost indiscernible to the human ear.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2025

The eggs failed to hatch and the contents of six of them were indiscernible.

From Scientific American • Jun. 9, 2023

“This looks so good,” the 33-year-old coos, flashing a grin indiscernible from her more cloying online characters.

From Los Angeles Times • May 26, 2023

Seashells are lined along every available surface, shells on the sills and on the dresser and jars full of pebbles lined up on the floor, all arranged by some indiscernible system, and here, here!

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr