indiscriminate
Americanadjective
-
not discriminating or discerning; lacking in care, judgment, selectivity, etc..
indiscriminate in one's friendships.
-
done at random or without making distinctions; haphazard.
indiscriminate slaughter.
-
not kept apart or divided; thrown together; jumbled.
an indiscriminate combination of colors and styles.
- Synonyms:
- varied, motley, mixed, heterogeneous, random
adjective
-
lacking discrimination or careful choice; random or promiscuous
-
jumbled; confused
Related Words
See miscellaneous.
Other Word Forms
- indiscriminately adverb
- indiscriminateness noun
- indiscrimination noun
Etymology
Origin of indiscriminate
First recorded in 1590–1600; in- 3 + discriminate (adjective)
Explanation
Nuclear bombs are indiscriminate, as are earthquakes. They affect everyone in their path rather than picking or choosing. When something is indiscriminate, it makes no fine distinctions. A dog who eats everything could be said to have indiscriminate taste. If you walk into a store and buy the first pair of pants in your size, no matter what they look like, you are an indiscriminate shopper. Usually though, you'll hear the word used to describe violent acts or natural events because these things do not have a specific target. They affect all people without considering the differences in their lives.
Vocabulary lists containing indiscriminate
This Week in Words: October 28 - November 2, 2018
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!
Their Eyes Were Watching God
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!
The Federalist Papers, No. 1 by Alexander Hamilton
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.
“After months of indiscriminate selling, we believe investors will start to differentiate between long-term winners and losers in private markets,” Vontobel analyst Arben Hasanaj writes.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026
“Basket trading, custom indices, and ETFs are driving indiscriminate selling, pulling down everything tied to the sector regardless of business quality,” he said.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 24, 2026
Politico’s description, meanwhile, was that Blair “encouraged members to curb their hard-line rhetoric about indiscriminate deportations, indicating it could cost them key voting blocs.”
From Slate • Mar. 14, 2026
Sir Richard said it became clear early on "that Iran's response was going to be much broader, wild and indiscriminate, and rather reckless compared to what we saw in the 12-day war last summer".
From BBC • Mar. 7, 2026
If I got to be so indiscriminate about what I ate, it was not simply because of appalling hunger; it was also plain rush.
From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel
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.
