Indifferent Meaning
/ɪnˈdɪf.ɹənt/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
adjAmbivalent; unconcerned; uninterested, apathetic.
adjIndicating or reflecting a lack of concern or care.
Sentence Examples
How can you be so indifferent to your wife's trouble?
The figure indicates approximately two thirds of the freshmen are indifferent to politics.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
CEFR Practice Quiz
The ____ judge gave the same short prison sentence to every criminal.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
He seemed completely ____ to the news, as if he didn't care at all about what had happened.
Word Origin & History
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *né Proto-Indo-European *n̥- Proto-Italic *n̥- Latin in- Proto-Indo-European *dwóh₁ Proto-Indo-European *d(w)is- Proto-Italic *dis- Latin dis- Proto-Indo-European *bʰer- Proto-Indo-European *bʰéreti Proto-Italic *ferō Latin ferō Latin differō Latin differēns Latin indifferēns Old French indifferent English indifferent From Old French indifferent, from Latin indifferens. By surface analysis, in- + different.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"“I must not hope to be ever situated as you are, in the midst of every dearest connexion, and therefore I cannot expect that simply growing older should make me indifferent about letters.” / “Indifferent! Oh! no—I never conceived you could become indifferent. Letters are no matter of indifference; they are generally a very positive curse.”"
— 1815 December (indicated as 1816), [Jane Austen], chapter XVI, in Emma: […], volume II, London: […] [Charles Roworth and James Moyes] for John Murray, →OCLC:
"When you have a hundred francs in the world you are liable to the most craven panics. When you have only three francs you are quite indifferent; for three francs will feed you till tomorrow, and you cannot think further than that. You are bored, but you are not afraid."
— 1933 January 9, George Orwell [pseudonym; Eric Arthur Blair], chapter III, in Down and Out in Paris and London, London: Victor Gollancz […], →OCLC:
"Donald appeared not to see her at all, and answered her wise little remarks with curtly indifferent monosyllables […]"
— 1886 May, Thomas Hardy, chapter XXV, in The Mayor of Casterbridge: The Life and Death of a Man of Character. […], volume II, London: Smith, Elder & Co., […], →OCLC:
"Then she shrugged, the mildest, most indifferent gesture he had ever seen, and smiled."
— 1953, James Baldwin, “Gabriel’s Prayer”, in Go Tell It on the Mountain (A Laurel Book), New York, N.Y.: Dell Publishing Co., published December 1985, →ISBN, part 2 (The Prayers of the Saints), pages 122–123:
"‘Wonderful, Florence,’ I said, producing the ritual phrases: ‘I don’t know what I would do without you.’ But of course I do know. I would sink into the indifferent squalor of old age."
— 1990, J. M. Coetzee, Age of Iron, London: Secker & Warburg, page 33:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The ____ judge gave the same short prison sentence to every criminal.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
He seemed completely ____ to the news, as if he didn't care at all about what had happened.