amorphous

adjective

amor·phous | \ ə-ˈmȯr-fəs

Definition of amorphous

1a : 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

Other Words from amorphous Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about amorphous

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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 l982 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

Completing the picture are amorphous swaths of color and a floating blue mask. — Judith H. Dobrzynski, WSJ, "‘Gauguin: A Spiritual Journey’ Review: Tracing a Painter’s Soul," 6 Jan. 2019 The MoTe2 shouldn't undergo the sort of crystalline/amorphous change that underlies phase-change memories, either. — John Timmer, Ars Technica, "Researchers make RAM from a phase change we don’t entirely understand," 18 Dec. 2018 Among them was Bernadette Corporation, a shadowy and amorphous collective that has attained cult status and which, 25 years on, continues to have influence on both aesthetic and conceptual levels. — Laird Borrelli-persson, Vogue, "Notes from the Underground: With a New Book Out, Bernadette Van-Huy Tracks Her Evolution from Bernadette Corporation to Now," 5 Nov. 2018 This acts like a magnet, pulling grime and gunk off your skin.a porous black solid, consisting of an amorphous form of carbon, obtained as a residue when wood, bone, or other organic matter is heated in the absence of air. — Allure, "The Skin-Care Glossary: A Comprehensive Guide to Everything You Need to Know," 17 Aug. 2018 Eaton DC, which is the first of a number of such venues planned for Hong Kong, Seattle, and San Francisco, will be part hotel, part co-working space, part amorphous center for progressive causes. — Vogue, "Lobby Hero: Katherine Lo's New Hotel Touts Progressive Politics, Down the Street from the Trump International," 20 July 2018 Ssion, the wonderfully chaotic project of visual artist and musician Cody Critcheloe, has been amorphous from the start. — Rachel Hahn, Vogue, "Ssion on His New Album O and His Absurdist, Sequin-Filled Sense of Style," 2 July 2018 Nor is this to suggest that the Singapore summit was a failure: if minimal and a little amorphous, the goodwill gestures seem real. — David Volodzko, The New Republic, "The Corporate Gangs Who Could Profit From Trade With North Korea," 26 June 2018 But unfortunately the membership in a particular social group is completely amorphous. — Fox News, "Woolsey: Trump keeps the North Koreans off balance," 12 June 2018

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