indefinite

English

Etymology

From Late Latin indēfīnītus.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ɪnˈdɛfɪnɪt/

Adjective

indefinite (comparative more indefinite, superlative most indefinite)

1. Without limit; forever, or until further notice; not definite.
2. Vague or unclear.
3. Undecided or uncertain.
4. (mathematics) Being an integral without specified limits.
5. (linguistics) Designating an unspecified or unidentified person or thing or group of persons or things

   the indefinite article

Synonyms

• (without limit): unlimited, unrestricted
• (vague or unclear): hazy; see also Thesaurus:indistinct or Thesaurus:vague
• (undecided or uncertain): indeterminate, unsettled, indecisive, unsure
• (an integral without specified limits):
• (designating an unspecified thing):

Derived terms

• indefinitely
• indefinite article
• indefiniteness
• indef

Related terms

• indeterminate

Translations

without limit; forever, or until further notice; not definite

• Bulgarian: неограничен (bg) (neograničen)
• Catalan: indefinit (ca)
• Czech: neurčitý
• Danish: ubestemt (da)
• Finnish: epämääräinen (fi), ääretön (fi), määrittelemätön
• Greek: αόριστος (el) m (aóristos), ακαθόριστος (el) m (akathóristos)
• Hungarian: határozatlan (hu), korlátlan (hu)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Italian: indefinito (it)
• Latin: indēfīnītus
• Polish: nieokreślony (pl) m, nieograniczony (pl) m
• Romansch: indefinit
• Russian: неограни́ченный (ru) (neograníčennyj), бесконе́чный (ru) (beskonéčnyj), безграни́чный (ru) (bezgraníčnyj)
• Swedish: obestämd (sv)
• Tagalog: dituring

vague or unclear

• Bulgarian: неясен (bg) (nejasen)
• Catalan: indefinit (ca)
• Czech: neurčitý
• Danish: uklar
• Finnish: epämääräinen (fi), ylimalkainen (fi)
• Greek: αόριστος (el) m (aóristos)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Hungarian: bizonytalan (hu)
• Italian: indefinito (it)
• Navajo: haashį́į́
• Polish: nieokreślony (pl) m, niewyraźny (pl) m
• Russian: неопределённый (ru) (neopredeljónnyj), нея́сный (ru) (nejásnyj)
• Swedish: oklar (sv)

undecided or uncertain

• Bulgarian: неопределен (bg) (neopredelen)
• Catalan: indefinit (ca)
• Danish: ubestemt (da)
• Finnish: epämääräinen (fi), epävarma (fi)
• Greek: ακαθόριστος (el) m (akathóristos)
• Hungarian: bizonytalan (hu)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Italian: indefinito (it)
• Latvian: nenoteikts
• Navajo: haashį́į́
• Russian: неопределённый (ru) (neopredeljónnyj)
• Swedish: obestämd (sv)

an integral without specified limits

• Bulgarian: неопределен (bg) (neopredelen)
• Catalan: indefinit (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 不定 (zh) (bùdìng)

• Danish: ubestemt (da)
• Finnish: määrittelemätön
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Hungarian: határozatlan (hu)
• Japanese: 不定 (ja) (futei)
• Polish: nieoznaczona f
• Russian: неопределённый (ru) (neopredeljónnyj)
• Swedish: obestämd (sv)

(linguistics) designating an unspecified or unidentified person or thing

• Arabic: نَكِرَة f (nakira)
• Bulgarian: неопределителен (neopredelitelen)
• Catalan: indefinit (ca)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Hungarian: határozatlan (hu)
• Spanish: indefinido (es) m
• Swedish: obestämd (sv)

Noun

indefinite (plural indefinites)

1. (grammar) A word or phrase that designates an unspecified or unidentified person or thing or group of persons or things.

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Italian

Adjective

indefinite f pl

1. (deprecated template usage) Feminine plural of adjective indefinito.

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Latin

Adjective

(deprecated template usage) indēfīnīte

1. vocative masculine singular of indēfīnītus

References

• “indefinite”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• indefinite in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.