indifferent

indifferent
adjective 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 Date: 14th century 1. marked by impartiality ; unbiased 2. a. that does not matter one way or the other b. of no importance or value one way or the other 3. a. marked by no special liking for or dislike of something <
indifferent about which task he was given
>
b. marked by a lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern for something ; apathetic <
indifferent to suffering and poverty
>
4. being neither excessive nor inadequate ; moderate <
hills of indifferent size
>
5. a. being neither good nor bad ; mediocre <
does indifferent work
>
b. being neither right nor wrong 6. characterized by lack of active quality ; neutral <
an indifferent chemical
>
7. a. not differentiated <
indifferent tissues of the human body
>
b. capable of development in more than one direction; especially not yet embryologically determined • indifferently adverb Synonyms: 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
>
.

New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.

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  • indifférent — indifférent, ente [ ɛ̃diferɑ̃, ɑ̃t ] adj. • 1314; lat. indifferens I ♦ (Choses et personnes) 1 ♦ (1633) Sans intérêt, sans importance, de peu de conséquence. Parler de choses indifférentes (cf. De la pluie et du beau temps). Impers. « Il n est… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • indifférent — indifférent, ente (in di fé ran, ran t ) adj. 1°   Qui ne présente en soi pas de différence, et, par conséquent, pas de cause de détermination ou de préférence, en parlant des choses. •   Lorsqu on a quelque bon dessein, ou même quelque dessein… …   Dictionnaire de la Langue Française d'Émile Littré

  • indifferent — Indifferent, [indifferen]te. adj. Qui se peut faire également bien de differentes manieres. C est une chose indifferente de partir à trois heures ou à quatre. il est indifferent lequel de ces deux on prenne. il m est indifferent d aller là ou… …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • Indifferent — In*dif fer*ent, a. [F. indiff[ e]rent, L. indifferens. See {In } not, and {Different}.] [1913 Webster] 1. Not making a difference; having no influence or preponderating weight; involving no preference, concern, or attention; of no account;… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • indifferent — [in dif′ər ənt, indif′rənt] adj. [OFr < L indifferens: see IN 2 & DIFFERENT] 1. having or showing no partiality, bias, or preference; neutral 2. having or showing no interest, concern, or feeling; uninterested, apathetic, or unmoved 3. of no… …   English World dictionary

  • Indifferent — In*dif fer*ent, adv. To a moderate degree; passably; tolerably. [Obs.] News indifferent good. Shak. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • indifferent — (adj.) late 14c., unbiased, from O.Fr. indifferent impartial or directly from L. indifferentem (nom. indifferens) not differing, not particular, of not consequence, neither good nor evil, from in not, opposite of (see IN (Cf. in ) (1)) +… …   Etymology dictionary

  • indifferent — Adj. (Oberstufe) geh.: ohne Interesse oder innere Teilnahme Synonyme: gleichgültig, uninteressiert, desinteressiert (geh.) Beispiel: Der Umfrage zufolge haben 47 Prozent der Befragten eine indifferente Einstellung zur Politik. Kollokation:… …   Extremes Deutsch

  • Indifferent — (v. lat.), unentschieden, gleichgültig. Indifferentes Gleichgewicht, derjenige Gleichgewichtszustand, in welchem sich ein Körper in Bezug auf die Schwerkraft befindet, wenn sein Schwerpunkt unterstützt ist; er befindet sich dann nämlich trotz der …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Indifferént — (lat.), »gleichgültig«, keine Wirkung äußernd. In der Chemie bezeichnet man Stoffe als i., die, wie z. B. das Paraffin, in Berührung mit den gewöhnlichen chemischen Agenzien keine oder nur geringe chemische Reaktionen erkennen lassen; daher auch… …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Indifferént — (lat.), ununterschieden, gleichgültig, keine (chem.) Wirkung äußernd. Indifferentísmus, Teilnahmlosigkeit. Indifferénzpunkt, der Punkt zwischen beiden Polen eines Magnets oder einer Voltaischen Säule, an dem keine Anziehung oder Abstoßung oder… …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

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