Definition of indefinite

The word "indefinite" originates from the Latin prefix "in" meaning "not" or "reverse of" and the Latin stem "definits" meaning "defined" or "limit." In medieval Latin, "indefinitus" was used to describe nouns or pronouns that did not refer to a specific person, place, or thing, and hence had no fixed limits or definitions. In English, the word "indefinite" has various meanings, depending on the context. In grammar, an indefinite pronoun, such as "someone" or "anybody," refers to an unspecified person or group, unlike a definite pronoun, like "he" or "they," which refers to a specific person or group. In mathematics, "indefinite" refers to equations or expressions that do not have a specific value, unlike definite ones, which do. For instance, the equation x^2 = 9 is definite, as it has two distinct roots, while the equation x^2 = -1 has no real roots, making it indefinite. In logic, an indefinite proposition is one that does not have a definite truth value, unlike definite propositions, which do. Such propositions can be either true or false depending on the values of their variables, and hence are sometimes called 'conditional' propositions. Overall, the English word "indefinite" carries a sense of ambiguity, openness, or lack of specificity, stemming from its Latin roots.