mixed

American  

[mikst] / mɪkst /

adjective

1. put together or formed by mixing.

2. composed of different constituents or elements.

   The country has a mixed form of government, blending democracy, aristocracy, and monarchy.

3. of different kinds combined: I've got mixed emotions about this move, given that I do want the new job but don't want to be so far from my mother.

   The recipe calls for peanuts and almonds, but you can use any kind of mixed nuts.

   I've got mixed emotions about this move, given that I do want the new job but don't want to be so far from my mother.

4. involving or comprised of people of different gender, class, ethnicity, religion, etc.: I grew up in a religiously mixed neighborhood, so my elementary school celebrated lots of different holidays.

   In this study, men talked more than women did in mixed company.

   I grew up in a religiously mixed neighborhood, so my elementary school celebrated lots of different holidays.

   Her parents had a mixed marriage, with her father being African American and her mother Japanese.

5. Law. involving more than one issue or aspect.

   What counts as fair use and what as copyright infringement is a mixed question of law and fact.

6. Phonetics. (of a vowel) central.

7. Mathematics. (of partial derivatives) of second or higher order and involving differentiation with respect to more than one variable.

8. (of trains) composed of both passenger and freight cars.

9. Logic. containing quantifiers of unlike kind.

10. (of a stock or commodity market) characterized by uneven price movements, with some prices rising and others falling.

---

mixed British  

/ ˈmɪksɪdlɪ, mɪkst, ˈmɪksɪdnɪs /

adjective

1. formed or blended together by mixing

2. composed of different elements, races, sexes, etc

   a mixed school

3. consisting of conflicting elements, thoughts, attitudes, etc

   mixed feelings

   mixed motives

4. 1. having the nature of both a real and a personal action, such as a demand for the return of wrongfully withheld property as well as for damages to compensate for the loss

   2. having aspects or issues determinable by different persons or bodies

      a mixed question of law and fact

5. (of an inflorescence) containing cymose and racemose branches

6. (of a nerve) containing both motor and sensory nerve fibres

7. maths

   1. (of a number) consisting of the sum of an integer and a fraction, as 5 1/ 2

   2. (of a decimal) consisting of the sum of an integer and a decimal fraction, as 17.43

   3. (of an algebraic expression) consisting of the sum of a polynomial and a rational fraction, such as 2 x + 4 x ² + 2/ 3 x

---

Other Word Forms

• mixedly adverb
• mixedness noun
• well-mixed adjective

Etymology

Origin of mixed

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English mixt mixt ( def. )

Example Sentences

It received mixed reviews from critics but an “A” grade from audiences according to research firm CinemaScore.

From The Wall Street Journal

By the third Test, England's messaging had become mixed.

From BBC

"Now that this is nearly over, I have mixed emotions. There is still one hostage who hasn't come back. I told myself I would stay until the last one."

From BBC

Joshua walked to the ring first and received a mixed reception inside the 20,000-seat arena.

From BBC

The economy is a mixed bag, with a weakening job market and an inflation rate that has eased but remains above where the Federal Reserve would like.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• blended
• different
• diverse
• varied