Indefinite - English meaning

adjective

Open to more than one interpretation; not having one obvious meaning.

Usage examples:

Ambiguous phrases

adjective

Having or expressing more than one possible meaning, sometimes intentionally

Usage examples:

His reply to my question was somewhat ambiguous., the wording of the agreement is ambiguous., the g…

adjective

Unable to see or be seen clearly.

Usage examples:

Blurred vision

verb

Make or become unclear or less distinct.

Usage examples:

Tears blurred her vision

adjective

Difficult to see

Usage examples:

The photograph was very blurred., the picture on the tv went all blurry., do you agree that male an…

adjective

(of a person) unable to think clearly; bewildered.

Usage examples:

She was utterly confused about what had happened

verb

Make (someone) bewildered or perplexed.

Usage examples:

Past and present blurred together, confusing her still further

adjective

Unable to think clearly or to understand something

Usage examples:

Grandpa gets pretty confused sometimes, and doesn't even know what day it is., i'm a bit confused. …

adjective

Feeling uncertain about something.

Usage examples:

He looked doubtful, but gave a nod

adjective

Uncertain or unlikely

Usage examples:

[ + (that) clause ] it was doubtful (that) the money would ever be found., she gave me a long, doub…

adjective

Used to describe debts or accounts that are unlikely to be paid

Usage examples:

The company has established an allowance for doubtful accounts based on the credit risk of specific…

adjective

Hesitating or doubting.

Usage examples:

I was rather dubious about the whole idea

adjective

Probably not true or not completely true; doubtful

Usage examples:

The team had the dubious distinction of ranking 31st in the league., a dubious character

adjective

Thought not to be completely true or not able to be trusted

Usage examples:

These claims are dubious and not scientifically proven., he has been associated with some dubious c…

adjective

Having or seeming to have no end or limit.

Usage examples:

Endless ocean wastes

adjective

If something is endless, it never finishes or seems never to finish because it continues for so long

Usage examples:

When i was a child, the summers seemed endless., education policy is endlessly debated.

adjective

Never finishing, or never seeming to finish

Usage examples:

There have been endless meetings about this problem., we've had orders from brazil, china, india, s…

adjective

Open to more than one interpretation; ambiguous.

Usage examples:

The equivocal nature of her remarks

adjective

(of statements) unclear and seeming to have two opposing meanings, or (of actions or ways of behaving) confusing and able to be understood in two different ways

Usage examples:

She gave an equivocal response.

adjective

Not clear and seeming to have two opposing meanings, or confusing and able to be understood in two different ways

Usage examples:

His words to the press were deliberately equivocal - he didn't deny the reports but neither did he …

adjective

Having a frizzy texture or appearance.

Usage examples:

Fuzzy fake-fur throw pillows

adjective

Not clear or not easily heard, seen, or understood

Usage examples:

Is the picture always fuzzy on your tv?, the basic facts of the story are starting to emerge though…

adjective

(of an image) having shapes that do not have clear edges, or (of a sound, especially from a television, radio, etc.) not clear, usually because of other unwanted noises making it difficult to hear

Usage examples:

Is the picture always fuzzy on your tv?, you can pick up a lot of stations on the car radio but the…

adjective

Affecting or concerning all or most people or things; widespread.

Usage examples:

Books of general interest

noun

A commander of an army, or an army officer of very high rank.

Usage examples:

The most stable connection is that between the military commander and generals and officers directl…

adjective

Involving or relating to most people, things, or conditions, esp. when these are considered as a unit; not particular or specific

Usage examples:

The general standard of living, this book is intended for the general reader (= one who does not ha…

adjective

Covered by a haze.

Usage examples:

It was a beautiful day but quite hazy

adjective

Hazy air or weather is not clear, especially because of heat

Usage examples:

Hazy sunshine, the hazy days of summer

adjective

Not remembering things clearly

Usage examples:

Hazy memories of childhood

adjective

Not clearly explained, described, or shown

Usage examples:

When your project's goals are ill-defined, it can be impossible to plan the necessary steps to achi…

adjective

Too large, extensive, or extreme to measure.

Usage examples:

Immeasurable suffering

adjective

So large or great that it cannot be measured or known exactly

Usage examples:

Her movies had an immeasurable effect on a generation of americans.

adjective

Lacking exactness and accuracy of expression or detail.

Usage examples:

The witness could give only vague and imprecise descriptions

adjective

Not accurate or exact

Usage examples:

As all the data have not yet been collected, the figures are still imprecise.

adjective

Not exactly known, established, or defined.

Usage examples:

The carpet is an indeterminate dull shade

adjective

Not clearly determined or established

Usage examples:

Juvenile criminals are sometimes sentenced to indeterminate prison terms rather than a fixed length…

adjective

Not measured, counted, or clearly known

Usage examples:

Indeterminate number an indeterminate number of workers have already been exposed to the danger., i…

adjective

Not quite accurate or correct.

Usage examples:

An inexact description

adjective

Not known in detail or not completely accurate

Usage examples:

Economics is an inexact science.

adjective

Not exact or not known in detail

Usage examples:

Estimates of the numbers involved remain inexact.

adjective

Limitless or endless in space, extent, or size; impossible to measure or calculate.

Usage examples:

The infinite mercy of god

noun

Another term for non-finite.

adjective

Without limits; extremely large or great

Usage examples:

Infinite space, there seemed to be an infinite number of paint colors to choose from.

adjective

Without end, limit, or boundary.

Usage examples:

Our resources are not limitless

adjective

Without limit

Usage examples:

The limitless sky, the congresswoman said that the days of limitless spending were over.

adjective

Not firmly or tightly fixed in place; detached or able to be detached.

Usage examples:

A loose tooth

noun

Loose play.

Usage examples:

He was in powerful form in the loose

verb

Set free; release.

Usage examples:

The hounds have been loosed

adjective

In the form of a cloud or haze; hazy.

Usage examples:

A giant nebulous glow

adjective

(esp. of ideas) unclear and lacking form; vague

Usage examples:

A nebulous concept

adjective

Not discovered or known about; uncertain.

Usage examples:

His origins and parentage are obscure

verb

Keep from being seen; conceal.

Usage examples:

Grey clouds obscure the sun

adjective

Not known to many people

Usage examples:

An obscure 18th-century painter, official policy has changed for reasons that remain obscure.

adjective

Not able to be relied on; not known or definite.

Usage examples:

An uncertain future

adjective

Unclear, or not sure

Usage examples:

She faces an uncertain future., we’re uncertain of the cause of death., [ u ] they live in uncertai…

adjective

Not easy to see, hear, or understand.

Usage examples:

The motive for this killing is unclear

adjective

Not obvious or easy to see or know

Usage examples:

[ + question word ] it’s unclear what actually happened that night., i’m unclear about a couple of …

adjective

(of a person) not having made a decision.

Usage examples:

The jury remained undecided

noun

A person who has not decided how they are going to vote in an election.

Usage examples:

20 per cent of the population describe themselves as undecideds

adjective

Not having made a decision or judgment about something

Usage examples:

Are you still undecided about that job in san francisco?

adjective

Not clear or defined.

Usage examples:

Undefined areas of jurisdiction

adjective

Not authoritatively decided or settled.

Usage examples:

The acquisition will result in an as yet undetermined number of lay-offs

adjective

Not measured, counted, or clearly known

Usage examples:

The park was developed in several phases, at undetermined costs, between 2015 and 2020., local resi…

adjective

Not fixed in a definite place or position; unfastened or loose.

Usage examples:

The green cloth cover had become unfixed in a dozen places

adjective

Not known or familiar.

Usage examples:

Exploration into unknown territory

noun

An unknown person or thing.

Usage examples:

She is a relative unknown

verb

Erase the memory or knowledge of (something, typically something unpleasant or distasteful).

Usage examples:

Once you have information about what’s in your genes, you can’t unknow it

adjective

Not limited or restricted in terms of number, quantity, or extent.

Usage examples:

Offshore reserves of gas and oil are not unlimited

adjective

Not having a limit or highest possible amount, number, or level

Usage examples:

If you rent the car for the week, you get unlimited mileage (= the amount you pay is not related to…

adjective

Not limited in amount, number, or level

Usage examples:

Unlimited access/time we pay a flat monthly rate of $19.95 for unlimited internet access., unlimite…

adjective

(of a problem, question, or dispute) not resolved.

Usage examples:

A number of issues remain unresolved

adjective

(esp. of a problem or difficulty) not solved or ended

Usage examples:

The mayor’s race remains unresolved.

adjective

Not limited or restricted.

Usage examples:

Unrestricted access to both military bases

adjective

Not limited or controlled by rules or laws

Usage examples:

A public library must allow the town's citizens unrestricted access to its resources.

adjective

Lacking order or stability.

Usage examples:

An unsettled childhood

verb

Cause to feel anxious or uneasy; disturb.

Usage examples:

The crisis has unsettled financial markets

adjective

Tending to change suddenly; not having a regular pattern

Usage examples:

Things are unsettled in the state’s political arena., the forecast is for unsettled weather, with m…

adjective

Not stated clearly or exactly.

Usage examples:

An unspecified number of people

adjective

Not stated or described in detail

Usage examples:

The company was sold for an unspecified amount.

adjective

Of uncertain, indefinite, or unclear character or meaning.

Usage examples:

Many patients suffer vague symptoms

adjective

Not clearly stated, described, or explained, or not clearly seen or felt

Usage examples:

She had a vague feeling that something had gone terribly wrong., i have only a vague memory of the …