Indeterminate
Not fixed or known; not able to be precisely determined or defined.
adjectiveIndeterminate
Not fixed or known; not able to be precisely determined or defined.
adjectiveImagine This
Imagine waiting for a weather forecast where the exact temperature is unknown; the forecast says conditions are indeterminate and could swing in either direction, so you can't commit to a number yet.
Sounds Like
in-DER-tuh-muh-nit
Looks Like
resembles 'indefinite' or 'undetermined'
Remember This
The prefix in- means not, and determin- means to decide; indeterminate = not decided. In math, indeterminate forms (like 0/0) require further analysis.
Other Forms
Connect With
uncertain, undetermined, indefinite, ambiguous, vague, indeterminacy
Note
Common in math, science, and everyday language to describe outcomes or values that have not yet been fixed. Distinguish indeterminate from indefinite: indeterminate implies the value exists but is not yet fixed; indefinite often emphasizes vagueness.