indeterminate.

1. Not settled, clearly specified or precisely bounded.

2. Describing a mathematical form or expression whose displayed information does not determine a unique value without further analysis.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• indeterminate outcome
• indeterminate duration

On the page

The negotiations ended with the timetable still indeterminate.

An indeterminate response made it difficult to tell whether the proposal had been rejected.

Usage notes

Primary category: academic / formal. Forms: Comparative more indeterminate; superlative most indeterminate where gradation is meaningful. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: analysis, explanation, qualification. Disciplines: general academic writing. Commonness: moderately common.