indeterminate

adjective in·de·ter·mi·nate \ ˌin-di-ˈtərm-nət , -ˈtər-mə- \

Updated on: 24 Nov 2017

Definition of indeterminate

1 a : not definitely or precisely determined or fixed : vague

b : not known in advance

c : not leading to a definite end or result

2 : having an infinite number of solutions

a system of indeterminate equations

3 : being one of the seven undefined mathematical expressions {latex}\frac{0}{0}, \frac{\infty}{\infty}, \infty \cdot 0, 1^{\infty}, 0^{0}, \infty^{0}, \infty - \infty{/latex}

4 : characterized by sequential flowering from the lateral or basal buds to the central or uppermost buds; also : characterized by growth in which the main stem continues to elongate indefinitely without being limited by a terminal inflorescence — compare determinate 4

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indeterminately

adverb

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indeterminateness

noun

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indetermination

play \ˌin-di-ˌtər-mə-ˈnā-shən\ noun

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Examples of indeterminate in a Sentence

an indeterminate number of people

Recent Examples of indeterminate from the Web

Crisis: Generally the most basic setting, in which a person or family seeks refuge from the street for an indeterminate period with some degree of services to help them get re-established.

— doug smith, latimes.com, "Q&A: Demystifying L.A.'s system of homeless shelters," 29 Sep. 2017
Popper filed a friend-of-the-court brief siding with Republicans and arguing the efficiency gap test is arbitrary and indeterminate.

— patrick marley, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Wisconsin redistricting case at U.S. Supreme Court could rewrite rules on gerrymandering," 29 Sep. 2017
If the language is vague or indeterminate on whether protesting during the anthem qualifies as a fireable offense, the employee may be able to contest the firing in court by filing a breach of contract and wrongful termination lawsuit.

— michael mccann, SI.com, "Could NASCAR Team Employees Be Fired for Protesting the National Anthem?," 25 Sep. 2017
Teigen held a coupe of … something indeterminate and made a toast.

— helin jung, Cosmopolitan, "Chrissy Teigen Opens Up About Struggling With Alcohol: "I Have to Fix Myself"," 21 Aug. 2017
It's now been reported that the issue has resurfaced in training once again leaving the United skipper facing another indeterminate stint away from the pitch.

— SI.com, "Man Utd Star Michael Carrick Picks up Mystery Illness as Mourinho Looks to Manage Depleted Squad," 30 Oct. 2017
About paying for government, Senate Bill 54 came from the Senate with five fiscal notes, which indicate there will be an indeterminate increase in government spending.

— author: frank gerjevic, Alaska Dispatch News, "Crime bill should be sole focus of October special session," 27 Sep. 2017
Its name, Thong Nhat, means Reunification, someone said: a huge building, and indeterminate in style.

— susan sontag, Esquire, "Trip to Hanoi," 19 Sep. 2017
Negative zoology is a celebration of life that is always unstable and indeterminate.

— joanna bourke, WSJ, "Staring at the Void," 30 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'indeterminate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

When you determine something, you decide on what it is, which means you put limits or boundaries on its identity. So something indeterminate lacks identifying limits. A mutt is usually the product of indeterminate breeding, since at least the father's identity is generally a mystery. A painting of indeterminate origins is normally less valued than one with the painter's name on it. And if negotiations are left in an indeterminate state, nothing has been decided.