indeterminate

[ in-di-tur-muh-nit ]

adjective

1. not determinate; not precisely fixed in extent; indefinite; uncertain.
2. not clear; vague.

   Synonyms: ambiguous

3. not established.
4. not settled or decided.
5. Mathematics.
   1. (of a quantity) undefined, as 0/0.
   2. (of an equation) able to be satisfied by more than one value for each unknown.
6. Botany. (of an inflorescence) having the axis or axes not ending in a flower or bud, thus allowing further elongation.

noun

1. Mathematics. something whose value is not specified: used especially in abstract algebra; a variable.

indeterminate

/ ˌɪndɪˈtɜːmɪnɪt /

adjective

1. uncertain in extent, amount, or nature
2. not definite; inconclusive

   an indeterminate reply

3. unable to be predicted, calculated, or deduced
4. physics (of an effect) not obeying the law of causality; noncausal
5. maths
   1. having no numerical meaning, as 0.00 or 0/0
   2. (of an equation) having more than one variable and an unlimited number of solutions
6. botany another word for indefinite
7. (of a structure, framework, etc) comprising forces that cannot be fully analysed, esp by vector analysis

indeterminate

/ ĭn′dĭ-tûr′mə-nĭt /

1. Continuing to grow at the apical meristem or the terminal bud indefinitely, allowing for the development of an ever-increasing number of plant organs such as leaves, stems, or flowers to the side.

Derived Forms

• ˌindeˈterminately, adverb
• ˌindeˈterminacy, noun

Other Words From

• inde·termi·nate·ly adverb
• inde·termi·nate·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of indeterminate¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English word from Late Latin word indēterminātus. See in- ³, determinate

Example Sentences

They added that at the opening of the inquest the cause of death was still indeterminate.

From BBC

He was handed down an indeterminate prison sentence with a minimum tariff of five years.

From BBC

But we’ll take the word of King himself, who moved the needle on the film’s indeterminate future when he posted on X: “Between you and me, Twitter, I’ve seen the new SALEM’S LOT and it’s quite good. Old-school horror filmmaking: slow build, big payoff. Not sure why WB is holding it back; not like it’s embarrassing, or anything. Who knows. I just write the f— things.”

From Los Angeles Times

Language is inadequate to the suffering he has wrought, but Beckett manages to give it artistic form in “Play,” his daring one-act in which a husband, wife and mistress rehash their story of infidelity at warp speed while planted in funeral urns in some indeterminate afterlife.

From Los Angeles Times

It took Viola’s atmospheric soundscape of indeterminate voices and noises to make them miraculous.

From Los Angeles Times