What is indifferent mean
Indifferent Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
in·dif·fer·ent in-ˈdi-f(ə-)rənt
-fərnt
1
a
: marked by a lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern for something : apathetic
indifferent to suffering and poverty
b
: marked by no special liking for or dislike of something
indifferent about which task he was given
2
a
: being neither good nor bad : mediocre
does indifferent work
b
: being neither right nor wrong
3
: being neither excessive nor inadequate : moderate
hills of indifferent size
4
: marked by impartiality : unbiased
5
a
: that does not matter one way or the other
b
: of no importance or value one way or the other
6
: characterized by lack of active quality : neutral
an indifferent chemical
7
a
: not differentiated
indifferent tissues of the human body
b
: capable of development in more than one direction
especially : not yet embryologically determined
indifferently adverb
Did you know?
Many of the words in our language have more than a single meaning. In most cases we have little trouble distinguishing them; we understand, based on the context in which each is used, that the English of "the English language" is different from the English used in billiards or pool ("spin around the vertical axis deliberately imparted to a ball that is driven or rolled"). In other cases, such as with the word indifferent, it can be a bit confusing. Indifferent may mean "unbiased," "apathetic," "mediocre," "unimportant," and several other things. Some of these senses are distinguished by the words commonly used with them; the "apathetic" sense, for instance, is typically followed by the preposition to. When using indifferent in your own writing take care that the surrounding words offer your reader sufficient context to prevent confusion.
Synonyms
- apathetic
- casual
- complacent
- disinterested
- incurious
- insensible
- insouciant
- nonchalant
- perfunctory
- pococurante
- unconcerned
- uncurious
- uninterested
See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus
Example Sentences
It can hardly be argued, by himself or by his defenders, that he was indifferent to, or unaware of, the true situation.
—Christopher Hitchens, Harper's, March 2001
… aspects of language that the earlier grammarians were indifferent to. —Geoffrey Nunberg, Atlantic, December 1983
For it is commonly said and commonly believed that science is completely neutral and indifferent as to the ends and values which move men to act … —John Dewey, Freedom and Culture, 1939
The movie was poorly received by an indifferent public. Was the food good, bad, or indifferent?
Recent Examples on the Web Some, like Murphy, are indifferent to the changes.
—Alanis Thames, ajc, 2 Mar. 2023 Worse, a large number of us who receive them on special occasions are indifferent to them, or even forget about them entirely. —Parija Kavilanz, CNN, 23 Feb. 2023 Yet for some skeptics, the small slice of the population with interest in history will never match the large majority who are indifferent and susceptible to alternative versions of Delhi’s heritage. —Howard Lafranchi, The Christian Science Monitor, 31 Jan. 2023 Machiavellians lack empathy and are typically indifferent and detached, Cassine says. —Erica Sweeney, Men's Health, 28 Dec. 2022 Or simply indifferent? —CBS News, 20 Oct.
2022 All of these creative energies must operate around and against an indifferent and parasitic national government. —David Frum, The Atlantic, 14 Sep. 2022 Faber was clear to recognize the very real presence of a frustrated paddock and somewhat indifferent local fan base he’s now charged with altering if TMS’s long-term relationship with IndyCar were to continue beyond this latest contract. —Nathan Brown, The Indianapolis Star, 29 Mar. 2023 The authorities are often hostile or
indifferent to the victims — dissecting their personal lives to find culpability in their own murders. —Erika L. Sanchez, Washington Post, 24 Mar. 2023 See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'indifferent.
' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Anglo-French or Latin; Anglo-French, from Latin indifferent-, indifferens, from in- + different-, differens, present participle of differre to be different — more at differ
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4
Time Traveler
The first known use of indifferent was in the 14th century
See more words from the same century
Dictionary Entries Near
indifferentindifferency
indifferent
indifferentism
See More Nearby Entries
Cite this Entry
Style
MLAChicagoAPAMerriam-Webster
“Indifferent.
” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/indifferent. Accessed 10 Apr. 2023.
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Kids Definition
indifferent
adjective
in·dif·fer·ent in-ˈdif-ərnt
-ˈdif-(ə-)rənt
1
a
: having or showing no special liking for or dislike of something
the audience was indifferent
b
: not interested or concerned
indifferent to the troubles of others
2
: neither good nor bad : mediocre
indifferent health
3
: of no special influence or value : not important
that fact is indifferent to the argument
indifferently adverb
Medical Definition
indifferent
adjective
in·dif·fer·ent in-ˈdif-ərnt, -ˈdif-(ə-)rent
1
: having or exhibiting a lack of affect, concern, or care
2
a
: not differentiated
indifferent tissues of the human body
b
: capable of development in more than one direction
especially : not yet embryologically determined
indifferently adverb
More from Merriam-Webster on
indifferentNglish: Translation of indifferent for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of indifferent for Arabic Speakers
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Indifferent Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.
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- British
This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
[ in-dif-er-uhnt, -dif-ruhnt ]
/ ɪnˈdɪf ər ənt, -ˈdɪf rənt /
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See synonyms for: indifferent / indifferently on Thesaurus.com
This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
adjective
without interest or concern; not caring; apathetic: his indifferent attitude toward the suffering of others.
having no bias, prejudice, or preference; impartial; disinterested.
neither good nor bad in character or quality; average; routine: an indifferent specimen.
not particularly good, important, etc.
; unremarkable; unnotable: an indifferent success; an indifferent performance.
of only moderate amount, extent, etc.
not making a difference, or mattering, one way or the other.
immaterial or unimportant.
not essential or obligatory, as an observance.
making no difference or distinction, as between persons or things: indifferent justice.
neutral in chemical, electric, or magnetic quality.
Biology. not differentiated or specialized, as cells or tissues.
noun
an ethically or morally indifferent act.
a person who is indifferent, especially in matters of religion or politics.
adverb
Archaic. indifferently: I am indifferent well.
OTHER WORDS FOR indifferent
4 mediocre, undistinguished, uninspired, commonplace.
See synonyms for indifferent on Thesaurus.com
QUIZ
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Which sentence is correct?
Origin of indifferent
1350–1400; Middle English (adj.) <Latin indifferent- (stem of indifferēns). See in-3, different
OTHER WORDS FROM indifferent
in·dif·fer·ent·ly, adverbqua·si-in·dif·fer·ent, adjectivequa·si-in·dif·fer·ent·ly, adverbsu·per·in·dif·fer·ent, adjective
su·per·in·dif·fer·ent·ly, adverb
Words nearby indifferent
indie, Indienne, Indies, indifference, indifferency, indifferent, indifferentism, indigence, indigene, indigenize, indigenous
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Words related to indifferent
aloof, apathetic, callous, detached, diffident, disinterested, distant, haughty, heartless, impartial, impervious, inattentive, neutral, nonchalant, uncaring, unconcerned, uninvolved, unresponsive, unsympathetic, blasé
How to use indifferent in a sentence
Americans who are indifferent to the risk posed by the virus would be unlikely to embrace such a reintroduction.
The administration hoped its new mask guidance would stoke vaccinations. It doesn’t seem to have worked.|Philip Bump|July 22, 2021|Washington Post
If he’s that indifferent to that perilous dynamic right after Justice Ginsburg’s disastrous choice to not retire, presidential arm-twisting probably won’t do much good.
SCOTUS Watchers Freak Out Over Breyer’s ‘Selfish’ and ‘Dangerous’ Decision to Stay Put|Scott Bixby|July 9, 2021|The Daily Beast
Others may be disillusioned, frustrated and even afraid, but nobody should feel indifferent.
Locked up in the Land of Liberty: Part I|Yariel Valdés González|July 7, 2021|Washington Blade
After years of being mostly indifferent to podcasts, the world’s tech platforms — as well as the largest terrestrial radio broadcasters — have grown interested in them as they battle on every front of the digital ad market.
Cheat Sheet: Why Amazon bought Art19|Max Willens|June 28, 2021|Digiday
I, on the other hand, am an indifferent cook whose dinner parties have become legendary for how awful they were.
Miss Manners: Aunt feels left out of distant event|Judith Martin, Nicholas Martin, Jacobina Martin|June 25, 2021|Washington Post
However, as she feared, The Bell Jar appeared to indifferent notices and the launch—which Ted attended—was rather low-key.
Ted Hughes’s Brother on Losing Sylvia Plath|Gerald Hughes|December 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The immigrants can stay, because they are victims of indifferent authorities just like we are.
In Rome’s Riots, Cries for Mussolini and Attacks on Refugees|Barbie Latza Nadeau|November 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Because we have so little skin in the game, it seems that the public is indifferent.
McCain’s 13 Favorite Soldiers|Sandra McElwaine|November 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Communist-era clerks were famously rude and indifferent, because they had no motive to make people happy.
Why Your Waiter Hates You|Jedediah Purdy|October 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Yet, according to the complaint, Berger was “deliberately indifferent” to these allegations against Gibney.
Is UMass-Amherst Biased Against Male Students in Title IX Assault Cases?|Emily Shire|August 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The reformers of the earlier period were not indifferent to the need for centralized organization in the banking system.
Readings in Money and Banking|Chester Arthur Phillips
She stabbed him, noting the effect upon him with a detached interest that seemed indifferent to his pain.
The Wave|Algernon Blackwood
Thus arrayed I fixed myself on the porch, to be smoking my pipe in a careless, indifferent way when she came.
The Soldier of the Valley|Nelson Lloyd
Indifferent health, for he was delicate too, was one of the bonds between us.
Fifty Years of Railway Life in England, Scotland and Ireland|Joseph Tatlow
I have elsewhere spoken of the indifferent figure made by most Englishmen at public speaking.
Glances at Europe|Horace Greeley
British Dictionary definitions for indifferent
indifferent
/ (ɪnˈdɪfrənt, -fərənt) /
adjective
(often foll by to) showing no care or concern; uninterestedhe was indifferent to my pleas
unimportant; immaterial
- of only average or moderate size, extent, quality, etc
- not at all good; poor
showing or having no preferences; impartial
biology
- (of cells or tissues) not differentiated or specialized
- (of a species) not found in any particular community
Derived forms of indifferent
indifferently, adverbWord Origin for indifferent
C14: from Latin indifferēns making no distinction
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co.
Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Meaning of the word INDIFFERENT
Dictionary
app.
1. resp. with noun. indifference associated with it
2. Deprived of interest in someone or something; indifferent, indifferent.
ott. Expressing indifference, indifference; filled with indifference.
3. Not of interest to anyone, not worth anyone's attention; insignificant.
INDIFFERENT - adj., used comp. often
Morphology: indifferent , indifferent , indifferent , indifferent ; is more indifferent than ; nar. don't care
1. When you are indifferent to something or someone or they are indifferent to you , you are not interested in them or you are indifferent to them.
She was completely indifferent to the fate of her sister.
| Don't worry, I don't care at all!
2. Indifferent is that which expresses indifference.
Indifferent tone. | He watched her with an indifferent expression. | She gave me an indifferent look.
3. story. When you say that you are indifferent to something, it means that your attitude towards this is calm, you are not happy or upset because of this.
Everything became indifferent to me. | I don't care who wins.
Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary
INDIFFERENT , indifferent, indifferent; indifferent, indifferent, indifferent.
1. Filled with indifference, devoid of interest in anything. An indifferent way of looking at things.
|| Insignificant, empty. They asked me a few indifferent questions and let me go.
2. Nothing stands out from a number of others, unremarkable, like everyone else. At least one interesting person, all some kind of indifferent figures.
3. Unaffected, neutral (special). The indifferent belt of a magnet lies midway between its north and south poles. Indifferent balance.
Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary
INDIFFERENT, -th, -th; -chen, -chen.
1. Indifferent, indifferent. B. look.
2. Not significant, not of interest. Everything became indifferent to someone. It doesn't matter (in the meaning of the tale), whether he comes or not. No matter who (no matter who). No matter where (no matter where).
| n. indifference , -i, fem. (to 2 values).
Popular dictionary
Indifferent
-th, -th; -chen, -chna
1) (to whom/what) Does not show participation, interest in the surrounding, what is happening.
Indifferent to luxury.
Indifferent to food.
Indifferent to women.
Synonyms:
indifferent, indifferent (bookish), indifferent
2) Expressing indifference, indifference; filled with these feelings.
An indifferent look.
Indifferent attitude to what is happening.
Synonyms:
indifferent, indifferent
3) (to whom, for whom) Uninterested; not worthy of attention.
I don't care about him.
4) No different, identical with everything around.
Ilya Ilyich's complexion was neither ruddy, nor swarthy, nor positively pale, but indifferent (Goncharov).
Related words:
indifferent, indifference (color indifference), indifference (indifference to everything)
Etymology:
Borrowed from the Old Church Slavonic language, in which it is formed with the help of a prefix and a suffix from razvit 'different', 'different'.
Encyclopedic Dictionary
INDIFFERENT -th, -th; -chen, -chna, -chno.
1. to someone. Showing indifference to someone, something; indifferent, indifferent. B. to fashion. The fans are completely indifferent.
// Expressing indifference, indifference. B. look, tone.
2. for whom, to whom. Uninterested; unimportant, unimportant. The young man was indifferent to her. I became indifferent to everything.
Academic Dictionary
th, th; -chen, -chna, -chno.
1. Expressing no interest in someone or something; indifferent, indifferent.
He uttered these words in such an indifferent, such an ordinary tone that it took me a while to realize all their great significance. Chakovsky, It was in Leningrad.
2. usually for whom or to whom.
Uninterested; unimportant, unimportant.
[Morozka] now felt that Varya was not at all as indifferent to him as it seemed before. Fadeev, Defeat.
3. No different, identical with everything around; flat, solid.
The neighborhood is gradually clouded over, clouded over, and, finally, completely disappears. At first the clouds will disappear and everything will be covered with an indifferent black veil; then the forest and Naglovka will disappear somewhere.
Saltykov-Shchedrin, Gentlemen Golovlevs.
Punctuation and management in Russian
for whom and to whom. The outcome of the case is indifferent to him. [Morozka] now felt that Varya was not at all as indifferent to him as it seemed before (Fadeev).
Spelling dictionary
indifferent; briefly The form is -the
forms of words for the word are indifferent
indifferent, indifferent, indifferent, indifferent, indifferent, indifferent, indifferent, indifferent, indifferent, indifferent, indifferent, indifferent, indifferent, indifferent, indifferent, indifferent, indifferent, indifferent, indifferent, indifferent, indifferent, indifferent, indifferent. , more indifferent, more indifferent, more indifferent
Synonyms for indifferent
adj., number of synonyms: 40
apathetic (19)
lethargic (23)
indifferent (40)
insensitive (44)
dull (22)
sluggish (83)
deaf (5)
wooden (29)
sour (30)
sour (29)
indifferent (17)
ice (31)
low sensitivity (7)
don't care (17)
not of interest (7)
not interested (4)
not worthy of attention (30)
dead (47)
insensitive (27)
zero attention (9)
plain (35)
cold (16)
remote (33)
suspended (26)
missing (12)
alienated (23)
chilled (14)
do not care (10)
don't care (9)
figurative (7)
stupefied (3)
cool (12)
indifferent (85)
sleepy (16)
blunt (118)
cool-hearted (6)
cold-blooded (21)
cold (102)
cold as ice (3)
at least a stake on Tesha's head (8)
see indifferent
sour, indifferent, cool, aloof, apathetic, insensitive, lifeless, listless, indifferent, sour, insensible, deaf, disregard, indifferent, cold, wooden, lethargic , apathetic, alienated, zero attention, icy, cold-hearted, insensitive, indifferent, indifferent, lethargic, indifferent, cold, cold
adj.
indifferent
indifferent
indifferent
Thesaurus of Russian business vocabulary
Syn: indifferent
Antonyms for the word indifferent
not indifferent
Idiomatic
absolutely indifferent
deeply indifferent
completely indifferent
completely indifferent
terribly indifferent
Morphemic spelling dictionary
without / once / lich / n / th.
Grammar dictionary
indifferent p 1*a
Word history
See INDIFFERENT
Useful services
Compose words from the word indifferent 9005
Five-language dictionary of linguistic terms
See voyelle indifférente.
Useful services
Make words from the word indifferent vowel
What does indifferent mean - Meanings of words
indifferent in the crossword dictionary
indifferent
- Painting by A.
Watteau - Watteau painting
Explanatory dictionary of the Russian language. D.N. Ushakov
indifferent
indifferent, indifferent; indifferent, indifferent indifferent.
-
Filled with indifference, devoid of interest. to something. An indifferent way of looking at things.
Insignificant, empty. They asked me a few indifferent questions and let me go.
-
Nothing stands out from a number of others, unremarkable, like everyone else. At least one interesting person, all some kind of indifferent figures.
-
Not affected by any predominant influence, neutral (spec.
). The indifferent belt of a magnet lies midway between its north and south poles. Indifferent balance.
Explanatory dictionary of the Russian language. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova.
indifferent
-th, -th; -chen, -chen.
-
Indifferent, indifferent. B. look.
-
Not significant, not of interest. Everything became indifferent to someone. It doesn't matter (in the meaning of the tale), whether he comes or not. No matter who (no matter who). No matter where (no matter where).
noun indifference, and (to 2 values).
New explanatory and derivational dictionary of the Russian language, T. F. Efremova.
indifferent
adj.
-
-
Deprived of interest in smth., smth.; indifferent, indifferent.
-
Expressing indifference, indifference, full of indifference.
-
-
Of no interest to smb., not worth attention; insignificant.
Examples of the use of the word indifferent in the literature.
What to hide, nature takes its toll, but Abramovich does not get much pleasure, because the mare does not care about his courtship, she does not care if he can speak or not.
Angry at Canada, James painted a map of the West Coast of America in such a way that the possessions of the Kingdom of Alaska should extend to Fort Ross and San Francisco inclusive, as was established by the once great Russians, and south of the bay, in Monterey, Spanish should be spoken, and which state will own that land is indifferent: where they speak Spanish, they should look not so much at Moscow as at San Salvarsan.
Meanwhile Ananiy Yakovlev fired up the steward with a reminder of some of his old sins against the master during land surveying: having gained nothing by this in the eyes of Cheglov, for whom the question of money is completely indifferent, Ananiy introduced a sharp complication into his own drama by his quarrel with the steward.
I was not interested in how many children were born in Annan, and I don't care at all if they stop being born at all and all Annan dies out!
There would be enough air for my lungs, and it is completely indifferent to me whether it is Arabian or Lapland.
Artaxerxes considered it dangerous to be indifferent to the impending threat and let the denunciation go past his ears, but it seemed to him even more dangerous to believe the scammer without any evidence.
The majority, including Atreus, were ultimately indifferent to him.
Ah, Ragimov,” Baranovsky recalled indifferently and added: “No, I can’t.
If you send not an image of a benzene molecule on a plane, but its code in a linear form, in the form of serial signals, then it does not matter from which place on the benzene ring to start the description - any one will do.
