amorphous

adjective

amor·​phous ə-ˈmȯr-fəs 

1

a

: having no definite form : shapeless

an amorphous cloud mass

b

: being without definite character or nature : unclassifiable

an amorphous segment of society

c

: lacking organization or unity

an amorphous style of writing

2

: having no real or apparent crystalline form

an amorphous mineral

amorphously adverb

amorphousness noun

Synonyms

• formless
• shapeless
• unformed
• unshaped
• unstructured

Examples of amorphous in a Sentence

Astronomers think our solar system took shape when an amorphous interstellar cloud of dust and gas collapsed under its own weight. The conservation of angular momentum, or spin, kept some of the material from simply falling all the way to the newborn sun; instead it settled into a pancake shape. —Michael W. Werner et al., Scientific American, June 2009

Most library and academic accrediting associations either ignore weeding or have general, rather amorphous, standards. Among the more specific standards are those of the American Library Associations' 1967 public library systems standards, which suggest annual weeding of at least 5 percent of "community collections," with headquarters libraries weeding more cautiously … —LJ Special Report, 1990

A quarter of a century ago, author Betty Friedan stumbled upon a "problem that has no name."" Middle-class American women were prisoners of gilded cages, she argued, unfulfilled by their exclusive roles as wives and mother. Friedan gave the amorphous problem, and the book that described it, a name—"The Feminine Mystique"—and with it helped launch one of the most transforming social movements in modern history." —Eloise Salholz et al., Newsweek, 31 Mar. 1986

Oblivious to all the attention, the big cat calmly sashayed to a concave little hollow scooped out of an artificial granite cliff-side at the rear of her cage. There, her four sleeping, newborn cubs were nestled one atop another so tightly that they formed one amorphous lump of fur. —Jon Luoma, Audubon, November 1982

an amorphous segment of society

amorphous lumps of clay magically transformed by a skilled potter's hands into works of art

Recent Examples on the Web

Wednesday is when the contours of the week’s show emerge; from a lot of amorphous goofing around, sketches materialize. —Susan Morrison, The New Yorker, 13 Jan. 2025

He’s also tried to banter with Vivek Ramaswamy and billionaire Elon Musk, the leaders of an amorphous group charged with studying potential cuts to the federal budget. —Nick Coltrain, The Denver Post, 9 Jan. 2025

But by the ’70s, a tsunami of Black acts like Stevie Wonder and Earth, Wind & Fire leaned into amorphous songwriting, which yielded intricate, diffuse albums bristling at the thinness of the categorization and prestige available to them. —Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 2 Jan. 2025

Roughly a dozen hard-line House conservatives are demanding a host of amorphous commitments from Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to win their support Friday, throwing his leadership tenure into uncertainty less than 24 hours before the vote. —Mychael Schnell, The Hill, 2 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Greek amorphos, from a- + morphē form

First Known Use

circa 1727, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

amorphous

adjective

amor·​phous ə-ˈmȯr-fəs 

: having no fixed form

an amorphous cloud

amorphously adverb

amorphousness noun

Medical Definition

amorphous

adjective

amor·​phous ə-ˈmȯr-fəs 

1

: having no apparent shape or organization

2

: having no real or apparent crystalline form