Word
indefinite
Phoneticsin·def·i·nite, stress on the second syllable
US/ˌɪnˈdɛfənət/
UK/ɪndˈɛfɪnət/
Definitions
01without a fixed end date
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. lasting for an unknown amount of time, or until someone decides to stop it.
adj. lasting for an unknown or unstated length of time; not having a fixed end point.
“The workers went on an indefinite strike until their pay was increased.”
“The government announced an indefinite suspension of the peace talks, citing a complete breakdown in communication between the two delegations.”
Synonyms
02vague or unclear
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. not clear or not exact in meaning.
adj. not clearly defined or determined; vague or ambiguous in nature.
“She gave an indefinite answer because she wasn't sure what she wanted to do.”
“The boundaries of the new district remained indefinite, leading to several legal disputes between neighbouring municipalities.”
03grammar: not specific
B2 · Upper Intermediate Law Technical
adj. used to describe words like 'a', 'an', or 'some' that do not point to one specific person or thing.
adj. designating an unidentified or non-specific person, thing, or quantity.
“In the sentence 'I saw a cat', 'a' is an indefinite article.”
“The student struggled to distinguish between definite and indefinite pronouns when translating complex sentences from their native language.”
Usage
Commonly used in the terms 'indefinite article' or 'indefinite pronoun'.
Synonyms
Antonyms
04math: without limits
C2 · Proficiency Mathematics Technical
adj. used in math to describe a calculation that does not have specific start and end numbers.
adj. relating to an integral without specified limits of integration.
“The teacher asked the class to solve an indefinite integral for homework.”
“The calculus exam required students to derive several indefinite integrals before moving on to applied physics problems.”
05a non-specific word
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Science Technical · Formal
n. a word that does not refer to a specific person or thing.
n. a linguistic element, such as a pronoun or article, that does not specify a particular referent.
“Words like 'anybody' and 'someone' are examples of indefinites.”
“The linguist argued that the use of indefinites in the witness's testimony suggested a lack of certainty regarding the suspect's identity.”
Real-World Examples
“Her comments follow demands from Angela Rayner and Unison’s general secretary Andrea Egan to drop changes to indefinite leave to remain which would penalise foreign overseas care workers looking after the UK’s older citizens.” “These include many carers who came to the UK to fill vacancies after the Covid pandemic, and were told they could apply for indefinite leave to remain after five years.” Etymology
From Late Latin indēfīnītus. Morphologically in- + definite.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
ADJECTIVE
ADVERB
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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englishreference.com/q/indefinite