in·dif·fer·ence

[in-dif-er-uhns, -dif-ruhns]
noun
1.
lack of interest or concern: We were shocked by their indifference toward poverty.
2.
unimportance; little or no concern: Whether or not to attend the party is a matter of indifference to him.
3.
the quality or condition of being indifferent.
4.
mediocre quality; mediocrity.

Origin:
1400–50; late Middle English, variant of indifferency < Latin indifferentia. See indifferent, -ence, -ency

su·per·in·dif·fer·ence, noun


1. Indifference, unconcern, listlessness, apathy, insensibility all imply lack of feeling. Indifference denotes an absence of feeling or interest; unconcern an absence of concern or solicitude, a calm or cool indifference in the face of what might be expected to cause uneasiness or apprehension; listlessness an absence of inclination or interest, a languid indifference to what is going on about one; apathy a profound intellectual and emotional indifference suggestive of faculties either naturally sluggish or dulled by emotional disturbance, mental illness, or prolonged sickness; insensibility an absence of capacity for feeling or of susceptibility to emotional influences.


1. eagerness, responsiveness.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source Link To indifference
00:10
Indifference is always a great word to know.
So is bezoar. Does it mean:
a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.
a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.
Collins
World English Dictionary
indifference (ɪnˈdɪfrəns, -fərəns) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n
1.  the fact or state of being indifferent; lack of care or concern
2.  lack of quality; mediocrity
3.  lack of importance; insignificance
4.  See principle of indifference

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

indifference
1530s, from L. indifferentia, noun of quality from indifferentem (see indifferent).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Example sentences
Misinformation, bigotry and indifference can be found everywhere, from tiny
  villages to presidential offices.
Extreme indifference is more than ordinary indifference.
He wants to flog the indifference out of the rest of us.
Quiet diplomacy might work, but it can also let topics slip by and leave a
  public perception of indifference or collusion.
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
  • Please Login or Sign Up to use the Recent Searches feature
FAVORITES
RECENT