amorphous

adjective

amor·​phous ə-ˈmȯr-fəs 

1

a

: having no definite form : shapeless

an amorphous cloud mass

b

: being without definite character or nature : unclassifiable

an amorphous segment of society

c

: lacking organization or unity

an amorphous style of writing

2

: having no real or apparent crystalline form

an amorphous mineral

amorphously adverb

amorphousness noun

Synonyms

• formless
• shapeless
• unformed
• unshaped
• unstructured

Examples of amorphous in a Sentence

Astronomers think our solar system took shape when an amorphous interstellar cloud of dust and gas collapsed under its own weight. The conservation of angular momentum, or spin, kept some of the material from simply falling all the way to the newborn sun; instead it settled into a pancake shape. —Michael W. Werner et al., Scientific American, June 2009

Most library and academic accrediting associations either ignore weeding or have general, rather amorphous, standards. Among the more specific standards are those of the American Library Associations' 1967 public library systems standards, which suggest annual weeding of at least 5 percent of "community collections," with headquarters libraries weeding more cautiously … —LJ Special Report, 1990

A quarter of a century ago, author Betty Friedan stumbled upon a "problem that has no name."" Middle-class American women were prisoners of gilded cages, she argued, unfulfilled by their exclusive roles as wives and mother. Friedan gave the amorphous problem, and the book that described it, a name—"The Feminine Mystique"—and with it helped launch one of the most transforming social movements in modern history." —Eloise Salholz et al., Newsweek, 31 Mar. 1986

Oblivious to all the attention, the big cat calmly sashayed to a concave little hollow scooped out of an artificial granite cliff-side at the rear of her cage. There, her four sleeping, newborn cubs were nestled one atop another so tightly that they formed one amorphous lump of fur. —Jon Luoma, Audubon, November 1982

an amorphous segment of society

amorphous lumps of clay magically transformed by a skilled potter's hands into works of art

Recent Examples on the Web

In a media ecosystem with no use for religion as anything but a bogeyman, countless words and warnings have been devoted to the rising — and amorphous — specter of Christian nationalism. —Isaac Schorr, National Review, 28 Apr. 2024

There’s a fine line between enticing the audience with a promise for answers and confusing them with an amorphous mass of hints and atmospherics. —Alison Herman, Variety, 21 Feb. 2024

Might the most famous woman in the world actually move to the Midwest, a region that people on the coasts frequently (and unfairly) portray as a vast, amorphous blob of blandness? —Julie Bosman, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2024

And, indeed, non-Western leaders including Narendra Modi of India and Mia Mottley of Barbados have begun to articulate the priorities of a collective—if still rather amorphous—global South on issues such as climate financing and the role of international institutions. —Comfort Ero, Foreign Affairs, 1 Apr. 2024

Without these things, talent acquisition is an amorphous, directionless process. —Amy Lafko, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024

The historical marker comes as Florida’s education system deals with the amorphous nature of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ policies. —C. Isaiah Smalls Ii, Miami Herald, 24 Feb. 2024

In contrast, Oceanco’s NXT Tank concept has replaced rooms with three amorphous zones. —Lucy Alexander, Robb Report, 23 Mar. 2024

The amorphous sense of loss echoes a larger national sense of pervasive not-knowingness: No one can say when, or how, this war might end. —Sabra Ayres, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Greek amorphos, from a- + morphē form

First Known Use

circa 1727, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

amorphous

adjective

amor·​phous ə-ˈmȯr-fəs 

: having no fixed form

an amorphous cloud

amorphously adverb

amorphousness noun

Medical Definition

amorphous

adjective

amor·​phous ə-ˈmȯr-fəs 

1

: having no apparent shape or organization

2

: having no real or apparent crystalline form