Dictionary
Thesaurus
Reference
Translate
Web
Related Searches
on Ask.com
Synonyms
Nearby Entries
indifferent - 7 dictionary results

in⋅dif⋅fer⋅ent

  [in-dif-er-uhnt, -dif-ruhnt]
Use indifferent in a Sentence
–adjective
1. without interest or concern; not caring; apathetic: his indifferent attitude toward the suffering of others.
2. having no bias, prejudice, or preference; impartial; disinterested.
3. neither good nor bad in character or quality; average; routine: an indifferent specimen.
4. not particularly good, important, etc.; unremarkable; unnotable: an indifferent success; an indifferent performance.
5. of only moderate amount, extent, etc.
6. not making a difference, or mattering, one way or the other.
7. immaterial or unimportant.
8. not essential or obligatory, as an observance.
9. making no difference or distinction, as between persons or things: indifferent justice.
10. neutral in chemical, electric, or magnetic quality.
11. Biology. not differentiated or specialized, as cells or tissues.
–noun
12. an ethically or morally indifferent act.
13. a person who is indifferent, esp. in matters of religion or politics.
–adverb
14. Archaic. indifferently: I am indifferent well.
Origin:
1350–1400; ME (adj.) < L indifferent- (s. of indifferēns). See in- 3 , different

Related forms:
in⋅dif⋅fer⋅ent⋅ly, adverb

Synonyms:
4. mediocre, undistinguished, uninspired, commonplace.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To indifferent
in·dif·fer·ent   (ĭn-dĭf'ər-ənt, -dĭf'rənt)   
adj.  
  1. Having no particular interest or concern; apathetic: indifferent to the sufferings of others.
  2. Having no marked feeling for or against: She remained indifferent toward their proposal.
  3. Not mattering one way or the other: It's indifferent to me which outfit you choose.
  4. Characterized by a lack of partiality; unbiased: an indifferent judge.
  5. Being neither too much nor too little; moderate.
  6. Being neither good nor bad; mediocre: an indifferent performance. See Synonyms at average.
  7. Being neither right nor wrong.
  8. Not active or involved; neutral: an indifferent chemical in a reaction.
  9. Biology Undifferentiated, as cells or tissue.

[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin indifferēns, indifferent- : in-, not; see in-1 + differēns, different; see different.]
in·dif'fer·ent·ly adv.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source

Indifferent

In*dif"fer*ent\, a. [F. indiff['e]rent, L. indifferens. See In- not, and Different.]

1. Not making a difference; having no influence or preponderating weight; involving no preference, concern, or attention; of no account; without significance or importance.

Dangers are to me indifferent. --Shak.

Everything in the world is indifferent but sin. --Jer. Taylor.

His slightest and most indifferent acts . . . were odious in the clergyman's sight. --Hawthorne.

2. Neither particularly good, not very bad; of a middle state or quality; passable; mediocre.

The staterooms are in indifferent order. --Sir W. Scott.

3. Not inclined to one side, party, or choice more than to another; neutral; impartial.

Indifferent in his choice to sleep or die. --Addison.

4. Feeling no interest, anxiety, or care, respecting anything; unconcerned; inattentive; apathetic; heedless; as, to be indifferent to the welfare of one's family.

It was a law of Solon, that any person who, in the civil commotions of the republic, remained neuter, or an indifferent spectator of the contending parties, should be condemned to perpetual banishment. --Addison.

5. (Law) Free from bias or prejudice; impartial; unbiased; disinterested.

In choice of committees for ripening business for the counsel, it is better indifferent persons than to make an indifferency by putting in those that are strong on both sides. --Bacon.

Indifferent tissue (Anat.), the primitive, embryonic, undifferentiated tissue, before conversion into connective, muscular, nervous, or other definite tissue.

Indifferent

In*dif"fer*ent\, adv. To a moderate degree; passably; tolerably. [Obs.] "News indifferent good." --Shak.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
Cite This Source
Language Translation for : indifferent
Spanish: indiferente,
German: gleichgültig,
Japanese: 無関心な
More Translations »

indifferent 
1387, "unbiased," from L. indifferentem (nom. indifferens) "not differing, not particular, of not consequence," from in- "not" + differens, prp. of differre "set apart" (see differ). Extended sense of "apathetic" first recorded 1519; that of "neither good nor bad" 1532.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source

Main Entry: in·dif·fer·ent
Pronunciation: in-'dif-&rnt, -'dif-(&-)rent
Function: adjective
1 : having or exhibiting alack of affect, concern, or care
2 a : not differentiated <indifferent tissues of the human body> b : capable of development in more than onedirection; especially : not yet embryologically determined —in·dif·fer·ent·ly adverb
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Cite This Source

indifferent in·dif·fer·ent (ĭn-dĭf'ər-ənt, -dĭf'rənt)
adj.

  1. Characterized by a lack of partiality; unbiased.
  2. Not active or involved; neutral.
  3. Undifferentiated, as cells or tissue.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see indifferent on Thesaurus | Reference