The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Indefinite \In*def"i*nite\, a. [L. indefinitus. See In- not,
and Definite.]
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1. Not definite; not limited, defined, or specified; not
explicit; not determined or fixed upon; not precise;
uncertain; vague; confused; obscure; as, an indefinite
time, plan, etc.
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It were to be wished that . . . men would leave off
that indefinite way of vouching, "the chymists say
this," or "the chymists affirm that." --Boyle.
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The time of this last is left indefinite. --Dryden.
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2. Having no determined or certain limits; large and
unmeasured, though not infinite; unlimited; as, indefinite
space; the indefinite extension of a straight line.
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Though it is not infinite, it may be indefinite;
though it is not boundless in itself, it may be so
to human comprehension. --Spectator.
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3. Boundless; infinite. [R.]
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Indefinite and omnipresent God,
Inhabiting eternity. --W. Thompson
(1745).
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4. (Bot.) Too numerous or variable to make a particular
enumeration important; -- said of the parts of a flower,
and the like. Also, indeterminate.
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Indefinite article (Gram.), the word a or an, used with
nouns to denote any one of a common or general class.
Indefinite inflorescence. (Bot.) See Indeterminate
inflorescence, under Indeterminate.
Indefinite proposition (Logic), a statement whose subject
is a common term, with nothing to indicate distribution or
nondistribution; as, Man is mortal.
Indefinite term (Logic), a negative term; as, the not-good.
Syn: Inexplicit; vague; uncertain; unsettled; indeterminate;
loose; equivocal; inexact; approximate.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Indeterminate \In`de*ter"mi*nate\, a. [L. indeterminatus.]
Not determinate; not certain or fixed; indefinite; not
precise; as, an indeterminate number of years. --Paley.
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Indeterminate analysis (Math.), that branch of analysis
which has for its object the solution of indeterminate
problems.
Indeterminate coefficients (Math.), coefficients
arbitrarily assumed for convenience of calculation, or to
facilitate some artifice of analysis. Their values are
subsequently determined.
Indeterminate equation (Math.), an equation in which the
unknown quantities admit of an infinite number of values,
or sets of values. A group of equations is indeterminate
when it contains more unknown quantities than there are
equations.
Indeterminate inflorescence (Bot.), a mode of inflorescence
in which the flowers all arise from axillary buds, the
terminal bud going on to grow and sometimes continuing the
stem indefinitely; -- called also acropetal
inflorescence, botryose inflorescence, centripetal
inflorescence, and indefinite inflorescence. --Gray.
Indeterminate problem (Math.), a problem which admits of an
infinite number of solutions, or one in which there are
fewer imposed conditions than there are unknown or
required results.
Indeterminate quantity (Math.), a quantity which has no
fixed value, but which may be varied in accordance with
any proposed condition.
Indeterminate series (Math.), a series whose terms proceed
by the powers of an indeterminate quantity, sometimes also
with indeterminate exponents, or indeterminate
coefficients. -- In`de*ter"mi*nate*ly adv. --
In`de*ter"mi*nate*ness, n.
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