indifferent

adjective

in·dif·fer·ent in-ˈdi-f(ə-)rənt

-fərnt

: marked by a lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern for something : apathetic

indifferent to suffering and poverty

: marked by no special liking for or dislike of something

indifferent about which task he was given

: being neither good nor bad : mediocre

does indifferent work

: being neither right nor wrong

: being neither excessive nor inadequate : moderate

hills of indifferent size

: marked by impartiality : unbiased

: that does not matter one way or the other

: of no importance or value one way or the other

: characterized by lack of active quality : neutral

an indifferent chemical

: not differentiated

indifferent tissues of the human body

: capable of development in more than one direction

especially : not yet embryologically determined

indifferently adverb

Did you know?

The Many Shades of Indifferent

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.

Choose the Right Synonym for indifferent

indifferent, unconcerned, incurious, aloof, detached, disinterested mean not showing or feeling interest.

indifferent implies neutrality of attitude from lack of inclination, preference, or prejudice.

indifferent to the dictates of fashion

unconcerned suggests a lack of sensitivity or regard for others' needs or troubles.

unconcerned about the homeless

incurious implies an inability to take a normal interest due to dullness of mind or to self-centeredness.

incurious about the world

aloof suggests a cool reserve arising from a sense of superiority or disdain for inferiors or from shyness.

aloof from his coworkers

detached implies an objective attitude achieved through absence of prejudice or selfishness.

observed family gatherings with detached amusement

disinterested implies a circumstantial freedom from concern for personal or especially financial advantage that enables one to judge or advise without bias.

judged by a panel of disinterested observers

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 No one can be indifferent to the pain and suffering that COVID-19 brought upon the world.

Adrianna C. Freedman, Peoplemag, 21 Nov. 2022 If the opposite of hate is indifference, suffice it to say that most workers in the U.S. aren’t quite indifferent toward their employers.

Jane Thier, Fortune, 15 Nov. 2022 As polarizing as candy corn appears to be, some of us are totally indifferent.

Ben Flanagan | Bflanagan@al.com, al, 25 Oct. 2022 Worry Darling is a shoppers’ paradise for filmgoers indifferent to current crises and clueless about bygone social standards.

Armond White, National Review, 28 Sep. 2022 Though Canadians are somewhat indifferent to the monarchy, many had great affection for Elizabeth, whose silhouette marks their coins.

Rob Gillies, ajc, 10 Sep. 2022 Rodríguez worries that the hat may disappear as younger generations are indifferent about learning the craft.

Lola Méndez, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Aug. 2022 Universal mail ballots invite participation by too many uninformed people who are indifferent to handing their franchise to collectors gathering them up for one side or the other.

WSJ, 18 Nov. 2022 America, and show biz, seemed to be indifferent to it.

Andrew Marantz, The New Yorker, 16 Nov. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'indifferent.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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