amorphous

[ uh-mawr-fuhs ]

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.

amorphous

/ 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

amorphous

/ ə-môr′fəs /

1. Not made of crystals. Glass, amber, and plastics are amorphous substances.
2. Lacking definite form or shape.

Derived Forms

• aˈmorphousness, noun
• aˈmorphously, adverb
• aˈmorphism, noun

Other Words From

• a·morphous·ly adverb
• a·morphous·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of amorphous¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of amorphous¹

C18: from New Latin, from Greek amorphos shapeless, from a- ¹+ morphē shape

Example Sentences

Its new watermarking scheme on X is an amorphous advertising campaign that ignores international borders and the gambling laws that exist within them.

From Slate

The watermarked Stake meme gets screenshotted and passed on, where it spreads through successive channels—like when publications that need to embed Twitter videos become complicit in Stake’s amorphous campaign.

From Slate

But that’s just one example of how the right wing, which will now occupy a favored perch in the White House, has elevated an amorphous concept of individual freedom over the undeniably real benefits, to millions of people, of robust pubic health imperatives based on communal responsibility.

From Los Angeles Times

Class consciousness has largely remained dormant in America, in large part because most people consider themselves to belong to the same amorphous socioeconomic class.

From Salon

When viewed from several feet away, the dots coalesce into a halation of amorphous color.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• nebulous
• vague