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

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

From Los Angeles Times

Under an IPP, sentences are indeterminate rather than fixed-term - with a minimum period served in custody before the prisoner is considered for release.

From BBC

The playoff push has life, but they’re without one of their best players for an indeterminate period.

From Seattle Times

More About Indeterminate

What does indeterminate mean?

Indeterminate describes something that is not precisely fixed or is uncertain, as in Sonya felt really frustrated with her boss’s indeterminate standards for evaluating her work.

Indeterminate also describes something that is vague or unclear, as in The indeterminate costs for replacing the school led voters to choose repairing the school instead.

Indeterminate is also used to describe something not established or settled, as in After surgery, Nikki will have to spend an indeterminate amount of time resting and healing.

Example: Carly’s lab results were indeterminate, so the doctor wants to do more tests.

Where does indeterminate come from?

The first records of the term indeterminate come from around the 1300s. It comes from the Late Latin term indēterminātus.

In botany, indeterminate means “having some type of appendage that does not grow a flower or bud on the end.” This allows the plant to instead grow longer. Often, indeterminate stems or growths are pruned to channel more of the plant’s energy into developing flowers or fruit.

In mathematics, an indeterminate is something that has no specified value. It is typically used as a variable in algebra and is often represented as an unsolvable problem, such as a number divided by zero or the square root of a negative number. Indeterminate variables are often represented with letters or symbols.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to indeterminate?

• indeterminately (adverb)
• indeterminateness (noun)
• indeterminacy (noun)

What are some synonyms for indeterminate?

• undetermined
• vague
• uncertain
• indefinite

What are some words that share a root or word element with indeterminate? 

• indeterminism
• determine
• determinate
• indeterminate sentence

What are some words that often get used in discussing indeterminate?

• amount
• measurement
• result

How is indeterminate used in real life?

Indeterminate is most often used in scientific or formal discussions.

Hi everyone! I am going to take a Twitter holiday for an indeterminate amount of time (hopefully at least two weeks) as I prepare for and recover from surgery.

— Jennifer Brea🦒 (@jenbrea) June 10, 2018

So in the two weeks since #Leafs locker clean out, Zach Hyman had surgery to repair his ACL (six month recovery), Auston Matthews had minor surgery, John Tavares has injured his oblique (indeterminate recovery) and Travis Dermott is having shoulder surgery (six month recovery)

— Kristen Shilton (@kristen_shilton) May 9, 2019

We will be extending this hold for an indeterminate period of time while the launch team finishes troubleshooting steps on a technical issue.

— ULA (@ulalaunch) March 15, 2019

Updated on February 27, 2023

Try using indeterminate!

Which of the following is NOT a synonym for indeterminate?

A. imprecise
B. unknown
C. defined
D. nebulous