1 undefinable | Definition of undefinable

undefinable

adjective
un·​de·​fin·​able | \ ˌən-di-ˈfÄ«-nÉ™-bÉ™l How to pronounce undefinable (audio) \

Definition of undefinable

: unable to be defined or precisely described : indefinable a seemingly undefinable term … he felt an undefinable dread laying hold on him …— George Eliot

Examples of undefinable in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

To them, their gender might be unknown or undefinable. Jasmine Gomez, Seventeen, "What Does 'Agender' Mean?," 3 May 2019 This raises the question of following the law’s letter versus its spirit, whether the undefinable quality of a film supersedes the superficial criteria placed on it. Charles Bramesco, Vox, "Eighth Grade’s R rating deters actual 8th graders from seeing it. What a shame.," 18 July 2018 And indeed, 40 years is a long trend for something as perennially mutable, and undefinable, as pop music. Dj Louie Xiv, Vanities, "Has 2018 Killed the Pop Star?," 22 June 2018 But the specifics of those politics continue to remain singular and often undefinable. Jesse Jarnow, WIRED, "The Ghost of John Perry Barlow Lives in His Posthumous Memoir," 5 June 2018 Over the course of the round, there would be shouts and screams and collective outcries that didn’t quite rise to the level of roars, but inched up to whatever line defines such undefinable things. Tim Layden, SI.com, "Tiger Woods's Comeback Brings an Unreal Presence Back to Augusta," 3 Apr. 2018 The show is actually undefinable—an indelible and engagingly weird universe that seemed to emerge fully formed from the minds of co-creators (and brothers) Donald and Stephen Glover. Janice Williams, Newsweek, "'Atlanta' Star Brian Tyree Henry Teases Paper Boi's Season 2 Journey—Conflicts With Earn, Darius and Dealing With Fame," 28 Feb. 2018 This interest in the tangible world directly contrasts Taurus’ opposite sign’s passions: Scorpio is associated with mystery, transcendence, and undefinable emotions. Aliza Kelly Faragher, Allure, "What This Week's Horoscope Means for You," 30 Oct. 2017

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

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First Known Use of undefinable

1690, in the meaning defined above

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