as in indefinite
formal
not able to be stated or described in an exact way
a man of indeterminate age an indeterminate number of people
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Recent Examples of indeterminate
After two passenger jets collided over Staten Island, on December 16, 1960, Green-Wood received three caskets containing the remains of an indeterminate number of victims and memorialized, in granite, all hundred and thirty-four people who died.
—
Paige Williams, New Yorker, 2 June 2025
Regardless of whether Bregman remains day-to-day or officially goes on the injured list, the Red Sox will be without their most consistent offensive contributor for an indeterminate amount of time, and must find ways to fill the hole at the hot corner.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 24 May 2025
Less than one-fifth of the 499 patients tested received an indeterminate Lumipulse result.
—Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 20 May 2025
Fewer than 1 in 5 participants received an indeterminate result from the test.
—Joseph Choi, The Hill, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for indeterminate
Paige Williams, New Yorker, 2 June 2025
Regardless of whether Bregman remains day-to-day or officially goes on the injured list, the Red Sox will be without their most consistent offensive contributor for an indeterminate amount of time, and must find ways to fill the hole at the hot corner.
—Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 24 May 2025
Less than one-fifth of the 499 patients tested received an indeterminate Lumipulse result.
—Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 20 May 2025
Fewer than 1 in 5 participants received an indeterminate result from the test.
—Joseph Choi, The Hill, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for indeterminate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for indeterminate
Adjective
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Ukraine could, for example, withdraw its troops from particular areas without making any formal territorial concessions, creating an unrecognized but indefinite line of separation, like the one that followed the Korean armistice, in 1953, or the division of Berlin, during the Cold War.—
Joshua Yaffa,
New Yorker,
22 Aug. 2025
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But last week, the 33-year-old asked his attorney to drop his appeal, preferring repatriation to the possibility of indefinite detention.—
Ben Wieder,
Sun Sentinel,
21 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The map above shows Fresno County’s evacuation area in red and the approximate fire perimeter as a black line.—
Bay Area News Group,
Mercury News,
28 Aug. 2025
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The patient base has expanded to thousands of active patients, with an approximate ratio of 1250 patients per dentist.—
Alison Coleman,
Forbes.com,
27 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Indeterminate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/indeterminate. Accessed 3 Sep. 2025.
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