adj · noun · 5 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
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[ˌɪn.dɪˈstɪŋ.ɡwɪ.ʃə.bl̩]
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:IH2 N D IH0 S T IH1 NG G W IH0 SH AH0 B AH0 L
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Not distinguishable; not capable of being perceived, known, or discriminated as separate and distinct
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Not capable of being perceived or known.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
Any of a set of things that cannot be distinguished.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
adjective
Meaning 4
not capable of being distinguished or differentiated
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
the two specimens are actually different from each other but the differences are almost indistinguishable
the twins were indistinguishable
a colorless person quite indistinguishable from the colorless mass of humanity
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: undistinguishable
Antonyms: distinguishable
5
adjective satellite
Meaning 5
exactly alike; incapable of being perceived as different
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
rows of identical houses
cars identical except for their license plates
they wore indistinguishable hats
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: identical
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *né Proto-Indo-European *n̥- Proto-Italic *n̥- Latin in-bor. Middle English in- English in- English distinguish Proto-Indo-European *-tḗr Proto-Indo-European *-dhlom Proto-Indo-European *-dhlis Proto-Italic *-ðlis Latin -bilis Latin -ābilis Old French -ablebor. Middle English -able English -able English distinguishable English indistinguishable From in- + distinguishable.
Across languages
Translations
23 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Belarusian:
нераспазнавальны
(njeraspaznavalʹny)
— not distinguishable
Belarusian:
неадметны
(njeadmjetny)
— not distinguishable
Bulgarian:
неразличим
(nerazličim)
— not distinguishable
Catalan:
indistingible
— not distinguishable
Czech:
nerozlišitelný
— not distinguishable
Dutch:
ononderscheidbaar
— not distinguishable
Dutch:
niet te onderscheiden
— not distinguishable
Finnish:
mahdoton erottaa
— not distinguishable
French:
indistinguable
— not distinguishable
French:
indistinguible
— not distinguishable
Galician:
indistinguible
— not distinguishable
Galician:
indistinguíbel
— not distinguishable
Georgian:
განუსხვავებელი
(ganusxvavebeli)
— not distinguishable
Greek:
πανομοιότυπος
(panomoiótypos)
— not distinguishable
Greek:
ολόιδιος
(olóidios)
— not distinguishable
Greek:
φτυστός
(ftystós)
— not distinguishable
Hungarian:
megkülönböztethetetlen
— not distinguishable
Polish:
nieodróżnialny
— not distinguishable
Portuguese:
indistinguível
— not distinguishable
Romanian:
indistingibil
— not distinguishable
Romanian:
nedistingibil
— not distinguishable
Russian:
неразличи́мый
(nerazličímyj)
— not distinguishable