indistinguishable

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˌɪndɪˈstɪŋɡwɪʃəbəl/ UK /ˌɪndɪˈstɪŋɡwɪʃəbəl/ See IPA manual

adj

Meanings

1

adj
impossible to tell apart from something else

The forgery was indistinguishable from the original masterpiece.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · impossible to tell apart... identical alike interchangeable undifferentiated imperceptible

Opposites

distinguishable distinct different discernible

Word family

Forms indistinguishably

Derived forms indistinguishablyindistinguishability

Related forms distinguishable distinguish distinct distinction

Etymology

From in- ('not') + distinguishable, from distinguish, from Latin distinguere ('to separate, distinguish'), from dis- ('apart') + stinguere ('to prick, mark off').

distinguere Latin stinguere Latin *steyg- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

# indistinguishable

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** ˌɪndɪˈstɪŋɡwɪʃəbəl
**IPA (UK):** ˌɪndɪˈstɪŋɡwɪʃəbəl

## Meanings
1. impossible to tell apart from something else

## Examples
- The forgery was indistinguishable from the original masterpiece.

## Synonyms
- identical
- alike
- interchangeable
- undifferentiated
- imperceptible

## Antonyms
- distinguishable
- distinct
- different
- discernible

## Derived Forms
- indistinguishably
- indistinguishability

## Related Forms
- distinguishable
- distinguish
- distinct
- distinction

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: distinguere
- Root: stinguere
- Root: *steyg-

## Etymology
From in- ('not') + distinguishable, from distinguish, from Latin distinguere ('to separate, distinguish'), from dis- ('apart') + stinguere ('to prick, mark off').

## AI Etymology
Indistinguishable comes from in- ('not') + distinguishable, from distinguish, from Latin distinguere ('to separate, distinguish'), from dis- ('apart') + stinguere ('to prick, mark off'). The prefix supplies the first semantic turn, while the base carries the lexical core of the word. As an adjective, it carries the sense "impossible to tell apart from something else", with the older formation still helping explain the modern use. Relevant historical forms include Latin distinguere, Latin stinguere, and Proto-Indo-European *steyg-. Derivative forms include indistinguishably, indistinguishability; related words include distinguishable, distinguish, distinct, distinction.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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