adj
indeterminate
ihn-dih-TUR-mih-nuht
adj
1
Not precisely known, fixed, or decided.
"The cause of the fire remains indeterminate."
"The patient's age was listed as indeterminate on the old record."
2
Vague or unclear.
"His answer was indeterminate, leaving us none the wiser."
How to Use Indeterminate
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishUnclear, unfixed, or impossible to pin down exactly.
Common pairings
indeterminate cause
indeterminate sentence
remain indeterminate
Word Forms
more indeterminate comparative, indeterminates plural, most indeterminate superlative
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The cause of the fire remains _____.
Etymology
From in- ("not") + determinate, from Latin determinare ("to limit, fix boundaries").