adv
Meaning 1
In a manner that is not definite.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Examples
- an indefinitely determined fossil
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
indefinitely
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.
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/ɪnˈdɛfɪnɪtli/
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Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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CMU ARPABET: IH2 N D EH1 F AH0 N AH0 T L IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
adv
Meaning 2
For a long time, with no defined end.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adv
Meaning 3
Forever.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adverb
Meaning 4
to an indefinite extent; for an indefinite time
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- this could go on indefinitely
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
Etymology tree English indefinite Middle English -ly English -ly English indefinitely From indefinite + -ly.
Across languages
Translations
34 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Catalan: indefinidament — in a manner that is not definite
- Hungarian: bizonytalanul — in a manner that is not definite
- Hungarian: határozatlanul — in a manner that is not definite
- Russian: неопределённо (neopredeljónno) — in a manner that is not definite
- Bulgarian: неопределено (neopredeleno) — for a long time, no end defined
- Catalan: indefinidament — for a long time, no end defined
- Dutch: voor onbepaalde tijd — for a long time, no end defined
- Finnish: toistaiseksi — for a long time, no end defined
- French: indéfiniment — for a long time, no end defined
- German: unbegrenzt — for a long time, no end defined
- Hindi: अनिश्चितकाल (aniścitkāl) — for a long time, no end defined
- Hungarian: határozatlan/bizonytalan ideig/időre — for a long time, no end defined
- Italian: indefinitamente — for a long time, no end defined
- Japanese: 無期限に (mu-kigenn-ni) — for a long time, no end defined
- Polish: bezterminowo — for a long time, no end defined
- Portuguese: indefinidamente — for a long time, no end defined
- Russian: бесконе́чно (beskonéčno) — for a long time, no end defined
- Russian: ве́чно (véčno) — for a long time, no end defined
- Spanish: indefinidamente — for a long time, no end defined
- Tagalog: nang padituring — for a long time, no end defined
- Bulgarian: завинаги (zavinagi) — forever
- Dutch: (voor) altijd — forever
- Dutch: voorgoed — forever
- Dutch: permanent — forever
- Dutch: eeuwig — forever
- Finnish: ikuisesti — forever
- French: infiniment — forever
- Hindi: अनंत (anant) — forever
- Hungarian: korlátlan ideig/időre — forever
- Japanese: 永遠に (eien-ni) — forever
- Polish: bezterminowo — forever
- Russian: бесконе́чно (beskonéčno) — forever
- Russian: ве́чно (véčno) — forever
- Spanish: indefinidamente — forever
Real reading context