indeterminate

[in-di-tur-muh-nit] Example Sentences

in·de·ter·mi·nate

[in-di-tur-muh-nit]
adjective
1.
not determinate; not precisely fixed in extent; indefinite; uncertain.
2.
not clear; vague.
3.
not established.
4.
not settled or decided.
5.
Mathematics.
a.
(of a quantity) undefined, as 0/0.
b.
(of an equation) able to be satisfied by more than one value for each unknown.
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6.
Botany. (of an inflorescence) having the axis or axes not ending in a flower or bud, thus allowing further elongation.
COLLAPSE
noun
7.
Mathematics. something whose value is not specified: used especially in abstract algebra; a variable.

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Indeterminate is always a great word to know.
So is prime number. Does it mean:
a positive integer that is not divisible without remainder by any integer except itself and 1, with 1 often excluded
the process of replacing a number by another number of approximately the same value but having fewer digits

Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English < Late Latin indēterminātus. See in-3, determinate

in·de·ter·mi·nate·ly, adverb
in·de·ter·mi·nate·ness, noun


2. ambiguous.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source Link To indeterminate
Example Sentences
  • Without denying this, consider several factors that are also cost related, but largely indeterminate in direct dollar terms.
  • People who think in terms of determinism pretend that there is no such thing as an indeterminate gate.
  • She hasn't had a lot of time in the sunlight, and her performance was carefully unstagy, in a kind of indeterminate zone.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
indeterminate (ˌɪndɪˈtɜːmɪnɪt)
 
adj
1.  uncertain in extent, amount, or nature
2.  not definite; inconclusive: an indeterminate reply
3.  unable to be predicted, calculated, or deduced
4.  physics (of an effect) not obeying the law of causality; noncausal
5.  maths
 a.  having no numerical meaning, as 0.00 or 0/0
 b.  (of an equation) having more than one variable and an unlimited number of solutions
6.  botany another word for indefinite
7.  (of a structure, framework, etc) comprising forces that cannot be fully analysed, esp by vector analysis
 
inde'terminacy
 
n
 
indetermi'nation
 
n
 
inde'terminateness
 
n
 
inde'terminately
 
adv

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
indeterminate   (ĭn'dĭ-tûr'mə-nĭt)  Pronunciation Key 
Continuing to grow at the apical meristem or the terminal bud indefinitely, allowing for the development of an ever-increasing number of plant organs such as leaves, stems, or flowers to the side.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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