indefinite C1 Topic:Grammar & Function Words US /ɪnˈdɛfɪnɪt/ See IPA manual Freq #30587 Meanings 1 adj Without a fixed or known end; lasting for an unknown length of time. Your account will be suspended for an indefinite period. 2 adj Not decided, certain, or clearly stated. They were still indefinite about their travel plans. 3 adj In grammar, referring to an unspecified person or thing, as with the words 'a' and 'an'. In English, 'a' and 'an' are the indefinite articles. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 adj · without a fixed or known... unlimitedunrestricted 2 adj · not decided, certain, or... vagueunsettledunsure More indistinct Word family Forms indefiniteness Derived forms indefindeffedindefinitelyindefinitenessindefinity Related forms indeterminate Common collocations indefinite pronoun Adjective + noun Etymology AI details From Late Latin indēfīnītus. Morphologically in- + definite. indēfīnītus la-lat View etymology graph -> Topics Grammar & Function Words External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # indefinite **Type:** Word **Level:** C1 **Part of speech:** adj **IPA (US):** /ɪnˈdɛfɪnɪt/ **Frequency rank:** 30587 ## Meanings 1. Without a fixed or known end; lasting for an unknown length of time. 2. Not decided, certain, or clearly stated. 3. In grammar, referring to an unspecified person or thing, as with the words 'a' and 'an'. ## Examples - Your account will be suspended for an indefinite period. - They were still indefinite about their travel plans. - In English, 'a' and 'an' are the indefinite articles. ## Synonyms - indistinct - vague ## Derived Forms - indef - indeffed - indefinitely - indefiniteness - indefinity ## Related Forms - indeterminate ## Roots and Affixes - Root: indēfīnītus ## Etymology From Late Latin indēfīnītus. Morphologically in- + definite. ## AI Etymology Indefinite is from Late Latin indēfīnītus. Morphologically in- + definite. The analysis is mainly morphological: the modern adjectival form is built from the named base and affix. In present-day use, it can mean without a fixed or known end; lasting for an unknown length of time, or not decided, certain, or clearly stated. Related forms include indeterminate. Derived formations include indef, indeffed, indefinitely, indefiniteness, indefinity. ## Topics - Grammar & Function Words markdown