indefinitely
ihn-DEH-fih-niht-lee
Indefinitely (adv) means For an unspecified length of time, with no planned end. Example: “The flight was delayed indefinitely due to the storm.”
adv
1
For an unspecified length of time, with no planned end.
"The flight was delayed indefinitely due to the storm."
"He can't keep putting off the decision indefinitely."
"For it would surely improve the domestic standing of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, an unbudgeable hawk, and thereby indefinitely delay peace on that Middle Eastern front."
— , Answering Iran’s Nuclear Challenge (2009)
"The road will stay closed indefinitely while engineers repair the bridge."
"It was a dark, horsehairy place with a sort of abandon-hope atmosphere that seemed suitable for people that had no money, and who were going indefinitely into pawn."
— Lloyd Osbourne, Baby Bullet: the motor of destiny (1905)
How to use indefinitely
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishGoing on with no fixed stopping point.
Common pairings
postponed indefinitely
suspended indefinitely
continue indefinitely
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The flight was delayed _____ due to the storm.
Synonyms
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for the foreseeable future
sine die
Related words
Rhymes for indefinitely
See all rhymes for indefinitely →Frequently asked questions
What does “indefinitely” mean?
The word “indefinitely” means for an unspecified length of time, with no planned end. In plain terms, going on with no fixed stopping point.
How do you pronounce “indefinitely”?
“Indefinitely” is pronounced ihn-DEH-fih-niht-lee (/ɪnˈdɛfɪnɪtli/ in IPA).
How do you use “indefinitely” in a sentence?
Here is “indefinitely” used in a sentence: “The flight was delayed indefinitely due to the storm.”
What part of speech is “indefinitely”?
“Indefinitely” is an adverb.
Is “indefinitely” a common word?
“Indefinitely” is an uncommon word in modern English, usually learned at around the C1 level.
What is the difference between "indefinitely" and "forever"?
"Indefinitely" means for an unspecified length of time with no planned end, leaving open the possibility that it could end later. "Forever" is stronger and implies it will never end at all, so "indefinitely" is used when a stop point simply hasn't been decided yet.
When would you say a project is "postponed indefinitely" versus "postponed until further notice"?
Both phrases mean essentially the same thing: no specific end date or restart date has been set. "Indefinitely" is a single adverb that works in many contexts, while "until further notice" is a slightly more formal phrase often used in official announcements.
Does "indefinitely" imply something is permanent?
Not necessarily. It simply means the duration has not been fixed or announced, so the situation could resume or change at any point, even though no timeline exists.
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