indiscriminate

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adjective in·dis·crim·i·nate \ ˌin-di-ˈskrim-nət , -ˈskri-mə- \

Definition of indiscriminate

1 a :not marked by careful distinction :deficient in discrimination and discernment

indiscriminate reading habits

indiscriminate mass destruction

b :haphazard, random

indiscriminate application of a law

2 a :promiscuous, unrestrained

indiscriminate sexual behavior

b :heterogeneous, motley

an indiscriminate collection

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indiscriminately

adverb

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indiscriminateness

noun

See indiscriminate defined for English-language learners

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Examples of indiscriminate in a Sentence

They participated in the indiscriminate slaughter of countless innocent victims.
He objects to the indiscriminate use of pesticides.
She has been indiscriminate in choosing her friends.

Recent Examples of indiscriminate from the Web

Human rights groups have documented indiscriminate shelling of civilian targets, custodial torture, enforced disappearances and rape, all perpetrated by forces under Jayasuriya’s command.

— kate cronin-furman, Washington Post, "Why a Sri Lankan leader might be tried for war crimes in Brazil," 30 Aug. 2017
The long-haul flight (five hours or more) offers up a special brand of hell, a smorgasbord of meltdowns, impromptu maladies and indiscriminate peevishness.

— amy tara koch, The Seattle Times, "How to tackle long-haul flights with children," 25 Aug. 2017
Boxing gives, and boxing takes, often with indiscriminate cruelty.

— dan mcgrath, chicagotribune.com, "'Boxing totally turned its back' on battered Gerald McClellan," 24 Aug. 2017
This past May, the government passed sweeping regulations that ended indiscriminate breeding and provided funding for necessities like food and shelter.

— sarah gibbens, National Geographic, "Blue Dogs Spotted in India—What's Causing It?," 18 Aug. 2017
Some researchers think this sort of affiliative, indiscriminate imitation might be part of the evolutionary advantages that lay the groundwork for humans to build an advanced society unique in the animal kingdom.

— eva botkin-kowacki, The Christian Science Monitor, "Beyond flattery: Why imitation could be humanity's most distinctive feature," 28 July 2017
The report commended government forces for reducing civilian casualties from ground engagements, including indiscriminate firing of mortars and other heavy weapons in civilian areas.

— mujib mashal and taimoor shah, New York Times, "Afghanistan More Deadly for Women and Children, U.N. Says," 17 July 2017
Nuclear weapons, after all, don’t function like traditional weaponry and are effectively indiscriminate tools of mass slaughter.

— john carl baker, New Republic, "Income Inequality Will Survive the Nuclear Apocalypse," 14 July 2017
Encouraging discussion of new ideas is certainly one of our goals, but indiscriminate attacks that question the motivation and integrity of the doctors who contribute to the site is not.

— people staff, PEOPLE.com, "Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop Defends Its Vaginal Jade Eggs and Doctors – and Hits Out At Critics," 13 July 2017

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

First Known Use of indiscriminate

circa 1598

indiscriminate Synonyms

Synonyms

assorted, eclectic, heterogeneous, miscellaneous, kitchen-sink, magpie, mixed, motley, patchwork, piebald, promiscuous, raggle-taggle, ragtag, varied

Antonyms

homogeneous

Near Antonyms

monolithic, uniform; alike, identical, like, same; distinct, distinctive, individual, separate

INDISCRIMINATE Defined for English Language Learners

indiscriminate

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adjective

Definition of indiscriminate for English Language Learners

: affecting or harming many people or things in a careless or unfair way
: not careful in making choices

INDISCRIMINATE Defined for Kids

indiscriminate

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adjective in·dis·crim·i·nate \ ˌin-di-ˈskri-mə-nət \

Definition of indiscriminate for Students

:not done in a careful way :wrongly causing widespread harm

They objected to the indiscriminate use of pesticides.

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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for indiscriminate Spanish Central: Translation of indiscriminate Nglish: Translation of indiscriminate for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of indiscriminate for Arabic speakers

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Examples of indiscriminate in a Sentence

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INDISCRIMINATE Defined for English Language Learners

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