Standard Lemma guide

indefinite

adj · noun · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ɪnˈdɛfɪnɪt/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: IH2 N D EH1 F AH0 N AH0 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Without limit; forever, or until further notice; not definite.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Your account will be suspended for an indefinite period of time.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Vague or unclear.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • She gave an indefinite answer which nobody really understood.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Undecided or uncertain.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • I'm still indefinite about what I'm going to study at college.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adj

Meaning 4

Being an integral without specified limits.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: mathematics, sciences

Examples

  • Don't forget to m the +C when calculating indefinite integrals.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adj

Meaning 5

Designating an unspecified or unidentified person or thing or group of persons or things.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: human-sciences, linguistics, sciences

Examples

  • the indefinite article

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

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

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: grammar, human-sciences, linguistics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

adjective

Meaning 7

vague or not clearly defined or stated

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • must you be so indefinite?
  • amorphous blots of color having vague and indefinite edges
  • he would not answer so indefinite a proposal

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: definite

8

adjective satellite

Meaning 8

not decided or not known

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • were indefinite about their plans
  • plans are indefinite

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Late Latin indēfīnītus. Morphologically in- + definite.

Across languages

Translations

83 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: неограничен (neograničen) — without limit; forever, or until further notice; not definite
  • Catalan: indefinit — without limit; forever, or until further notice; not definite
  • Czech: neurčitý — without limit; forever, or until further notice; not definite
  • Danish: ubestemt — without limit; forever, or until further notice; not definite
  • Finnish: epämääräinen — without limit; forever, or until further notice; not definite
  • Finnish: ääretön — without limit; forever, or until further notice; not definite
  • Finnish: määrittelemätön — without limit; forever, or until further notice; not definite
  • German: unbegrenzt — without limit; forever, or until further notice; not definite
  • German: unbestimmt — without limit; forever, or until further notice; not definite
  • Greek: αόριστος (aóristos) — without limit; forever, or until further notice; not definite
  • Greek: ακαθόριστος (akathóristos) — without limit; forever, or until further notice; not definite
  • Hungarian: határozatlan — without limit; forever, or until further notice; not definite
  • Hungarian: korlátlan — without limit; forever, or until further notice; not definite
  • Italian: indefinito — without limit; forever, or until further notice; not definite
  • Latin: indēfīnītus — without limit; forever, or until further notice; not definite
  • Occitan: indefinit — without limit; forever, or until further notice; not definite
  • Polish: nieokreślony — without limit; forever, or until further notice; not definite
  • Polish: nieograniczony — without limit; forever, or until further notice; not definite
  • Polish: bezterminowy — without limit; forever, or until further notice; not definite
  • Romansh: indefinit — without limit; forever, or until further notice; not definite
  • Russian: неограни́ченный (neograníčennyj) — without limit; forever, or until further notice; not definite
  • Russian: бесконе́чный (beskonéčnyj) — without limit; forever, or until further notice; not definite
  • Russian: безграни́чный (bezgraníčnyj) — without limit; forever, or until further notice; not definite
  • Swedish: obestämd — without limit; forever, or until further notice; not definite
  • Tagalog: dituring — without limit; forever, or until further notice; not definite
  • Bulgarian: неясен (nejasen) — vague or unclear
  • Catalan: indefinit — vague or unclear
  • Czech: neurčitý — vague or unclear
  • Danish: uklar — vague or unclear
  • Finnish: epämääräinen — vague or unclear
  • Finnish: ylimalkainen — vague or unclear
  • German: vage — vague or unclear
  • German: unklar — vague or unclear
  • Greek: αόριστος (aóristos) — vague or unclear
  • Hungarian: bizonytalan — vague or unclear
  • Italian: indefinito — vague or unclear
  • Navajo: haashį́į́ — vague or unclear
  • Plautdietsch: onbestemt — vague or unclear
  • Polish: nieokreślony — vague or unclear
  • Polish: niewyraźny — vague or unclear
  • Russian: неопределённый (neopredeljónnyj) — vague or unclear
  • Russian: нея́сный (nejásnyj) — vague or unclear
  • Swedish: oklar — vague or unclear
  • Bulgarian: неопределен (neopredelen) — undecided or uncertain
  • Catalan: indefinit — undecided or uncertain
  • Danish: ubestemt — undecided or uncertain
  • Finnish: epämääräinen — undecided or uncertain
  • Finnish: epävarma — undecided or uncertain
  • German: unentschieden — undecided or uncertain
  • German: unsicher — undecided or uncertain
  • Greek: ακαθόριστος (akathóristos) — undecided or uncertain
  • Hungarian: bizonytalan — undecided or uncertain
  • Italian: indefinito — undecided or uncertain
  • Latvian: nenoteikts — undecided or uncertain
  • Navajo: haashį́į́ — undecided or uncertain
  • Russian: неопределённый (neopredeljónnyj) — undecided or uncertain
  • Swedish: obestämd — undecided or uncertain
  • Bulgarian: неопределен (neopredelen) — of an integral: without specified limits
  • Catalan: indefinit — of an integral: without specified limits
  • Chinese Mandarin: 不定 (bùdìng) — of an integral: without specified limits
  • Czech: neurčitý — of an integral: without specified limits
  • Danish: ubestemt — of an integral: without specified limits
  • Finnish: määräämätön — of an integral: without specified limits
  • German: unbestimmt — of an integral: without specified limits
  • Hungarian: határozatlan — of an integral: without specified limits
  • Japanese: 不定 (futei) — of an integral: without specified limits
  • Polish: nieoznaczona — of an integral: without specified limits
  • Russian: неопределённый (neopredeljónnyj) — of an integral: without specified limits
  • Swedish: obestämd — of an integral: without specified limits
  • Arabic: نَكِرَة (nakira) — (linguistics) designating an unspecified or unidentified person or thing
  • Bulgarian: неопределителен (neopredelitelen) — (linguistics) designating an unspecified or unidentified person or thing
  • Catalan: indefinit — (linguistics) designating an unspecified or unidentified person or thing
  • Danish: bestemt — (linguistics) designating an unspecified or unidentified person or thing
  • German: unbestimmt — (linguistics) designating an unspecified or unidentified person or thing
  • Hungarian: határozatlan — (linguistics) designating an unspecified or unidentified person or thing
  • Indonesian: indefinit — (linguistics) designating an unspecified or unidentified person or thing
  • Indonesian: taktakrif — (linguistics) designating an unspecified or unidentified person or thing
  • Norwegian Bokmål: bestemt — (linguistics) designating an unspecified or unidentified person or thing
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: bestemt — (linguistics) designating an unspecified or unidentified person or thing
  • Serbo-Croatian: неодређен — (linguistics) designating an unspecified or unidentified person or thing
  • Serbo-Croatian: neodređen — (linguistics) designating an unspecified or unidentified person or thing
  • Spanish: indefinido — (linguistics) designating an unspecified or unidentified person or thing
  • Swedish: obestämd — (linguistics) designating an unspecified or unidentified person or thing
Real reading context

indefinite in complete knowledge articles