Dictionary

indiscriminate en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ɪn.dɪsˈkɹɪm.ɪn.ət/ (UK)

Etymology

First attested in 1598; from in- + discriminate.

Meanings

1. (of things) Not marked by discrimination or discernment; (by extension) confused, promiscuous.
   • Otanes […] commanded an indiscriminate slaughter, without regard to age or to place. 1838, Connop Thirwall, History of Greece, volume II. xiv. 195:
   • The UK's fishing industry has complained that Ocean is “indiscriminate” (arguably an ironic adjective for anyone involved in trawling). 2025 May 17, Henry Mance, “Now we are almost out of time”, in FT Weekend (Life & Arts section), London: The Financial Times Ltd., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 12:
2. (of a person) Without care in making distinctions, thoughtless.
   • An animal so indiscriminate in its eating habits that it eats coal, boat cushions, and tomtoms, would be only too eager to taste a swimmer or a diver—which must look more edible than an unopened can of salmon. 1983, Richard Ellis, The Book of Sharks, Knopf, →ISBN, page 126:
   • How can anyone be so indiscriminate in making friends as he is?

Forms

Deriveds

indiscriminately · indiscriminative · indiscriminateness

Synonyms

promiscuous

Translations (40)

fi arvostelukyvytön (Without care or making distinctions, thoughtless) · fi harkitsematon (Without care or making distinctions, thoughtless) · mk безра́зборен (Without care or making distinctions, thoughtless) · ca indiscriminat (Without care or making distinctions, thoughtless) · fi umpimähkäinen (Without care or making distinctions, thoughtless) · ja 無差別 (Without care or making distinctions, thoughtless) · es indiscriminado (Without care or making distinctions, thoughtless) · it indiscriminato (Without care or making distinctions, thoughtless) · la promiscuus (Without care or making distinctions, thoughtless) · ru неразборчивый (Without care or making distinctions, thoughtless) · fr indiscriminé (Without care or making distinctions, thoughtless) · de ohne Unterschied (Without care or making distinctions, thoughtless) · cmn 不加鑒別的 /不加鉴别的 (Without care or making distinctions, thoughtless) · fi silmitön (Without care or making distinctions, thoughtless) · fr indistinct (Without care or making distinctions, thoughtless) · de wahllos (Without care or making distinctions, thoughtless) · uk невибірко́вий (Without care or making distinctions, thoughtless) · cmn 不加區別的 /不加区别的 (Without care or making distinctions, thoughtless) · cmn 不加選擇的 /不加选择的 (Without care or making distinctions, thoughtless) · de unterschiedslos (Without care or making distinctions, thoughtless) · sv urskillningslös (Without care or making distinctions, thoughtless) · mk непро́мислен (Without care or making distinctions, thoughtless) · de willkürlich (Without care or making distinctions, thoughtless) · bg безсистемен (Without care or making distinctions, thoughtless) · hy անխտիր (Without care or making distinctions, thoughtless) · bg безразборен (Without care or making distinctions, thoughtless) · de unbedacht (Without care or making distinctions, thoughtless) · de gedankenlos (Without care or making distinctions, thoughtless) · uk нерозбі́рливий (Without care or making distinctions, thoughtless) · sv oaktsam (Without care or making distinctions, thoughtless) · es desconsiderado (Without care or making distinctions, thoughtless) · cmn 不分好壞的 /不分好坏的 (Without care or making distinctions, thoughtless) · be непатрабавальны (Without care or making distinctions, thoughtless) · de unkritisch (Without care or making distinctions, thoughtless) · ru неизбира́тельный (Without care or making distinctions, thoughtless) · fi harkitsematon (Without care or making distinctions, thoughtless) · de unüberlegt (Without care or making distinctions, thoughtless) · be непераборлівы (Without care or making distinctions, thoughtless) · kk алаламай (Without care or making distinctions, thoughtless) · fi sokea (Without care or making distinctions, thoughtless)