amorphous

American  

[uh-mawr-fuhs] / əˈmɔr fəs /

adjective

1. lacking definite form; having no specific shape; formless.

   the amorphous clouds.

   Synonyms:

   anomalous, vague, undefined, shapeless

2. of no particular kind or character; indeterminate; having no pattern or structure; unorganized.

   an amorphous style; an amorphous personality.

   Synonyms:

   anomalous, vague, undefined, shapeless

3. Petrography, Mineralogy. occurring in a mass, as without stratification or crystalline structure.

4. Chemistry. not crystalline.

5. Biology. having structural components that are not clearly differentiated, as the nuclear material in certain bacteria.

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amorphous British  

/ əˈmɔːfəs /

adjective

1. lacking a definite shape; formless

2. of no recognizable character or type

3. (of chemicals, rocks, etc) not having a crystalline structure

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amorphous Scientific  

/ ə-môr′fəs /

1. Not made of crystals. Glass, amber, and plastics are amorphous substances.

2. Lacking definite form or shape.

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Other Word Forms

• amorphism
  noun
• amorphousness
  noun
• amorphously
  adverb

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Etymology

Origin of amorphous

First recorded in 1725–35, amorphous is from the Greek word ámorphos shapeless. See a- ⁶, -morph, -ous

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Explanation

Amorphous means without a clearly defined form, like the moon's amorphous reflection in a lake. Figuratively, something amorphous lacks focus, be it a work of art, a political movement, or even someone's life plans. The Greek roots of this word are clear: morphē means "form," and a- means "lacking or without." When creative works or ideas are described as amorphous, it means they suffer from a lack of organization. An amorphous object lacks a well-defined outline or structure, like amorphous jellyfish drifting on the surface of the ocean. And scientifically, this adjective simply describes something without a crystalline form, like an amorphous metal or amorphous ice.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

amorphous

The space galleries capture more of the shuttle exhibit’s sense of otherworldly drama: dark, amorphous, windowless spaces with graphics of glittering stars and planets on the walls and spotlights lending pop to each surreal artifact.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2026

It’s just one of the many poeticisms used to make sense of this amorphous existence.

From Salon ● Oct. 23, 2026

It’s hard even for a healthcare insider to navigate the system, let alone appeal a denial with amorphous reasoning behind it.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 8, 2026

Electability can be a frustratingly amorphous concept—one that isn’t always fair either.

From Slate ● Aug. 12, 2026

And now he had this amorphous, ominous, legal cloud.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel

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Related Words

• nebulous
• vague

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