indiscriminate

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

|Updated on: 10 Jun 2018

Examples: indiscriminate in a Sentence

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

See indiscriminate defined for kids

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

Her work has also included advocacy to support truancy center in Orleans Parish, the campaign to end indiscriminate shackling of juveniles in court, and the revision of the Louisiana Code of Criminal Procedure Articles on post-conviction, the ACLU.

— emily lane, NOLA.com, "ACLU Louisiana taps 'leading civil rights attorney' as director, group says," 30 May 2018
In all cases, the arrangements followed indiscriminate bombing campaigns against hospitals, markets and other civilian targets, driving thousands from their homes.

— philip issa and sarah el deeb, chicagotribune.com, "Defeated rebels begin leaving enclave near Syrian capital after deal with government," 22 Mar. 2018
The Post analysis found that 62.6 percent of the students exposed to gun violence at school since 1999 were children of color, and almost all those shootings were targeted or accidental, rather than indiscriminate.

— john woodrow cox and steven rich, courant.com, "What happens to children who survive school shootings in America?," 22 Mar. 2018
Defendants and their supporters have framed the case as an indiscriminate police round-up followed by a concerted Justice Department effort to criminalize legitimate dissent.

— ashraf khalil, chicagotribune.com, "Trials for violent protest framed as Trump vs the resistance," 21 May 2018
The indiscriminate nature of the Manning disclosures is what kills it for me.

— nicholas zimmerman, Daily Intelligencer, "Why Washington Insiders Decide to Leak," 16 May 2018
Jack Ryan said Green had been kicked out of the party and Green responded by opening fire in an indiscriminate manner.

— robert moran, Philly.com, "Man, 19, charged in double homicide near Temple last month," 11 May 2018
Modern tactics, enabled by technology, allow law enforcement to trawl a wider — and more indiscriminate — pool before narrowing in on a specific individual.

— benjamin oreskes, latimes.com, "False starts in search for Golden State Killer reveal the pitfalls of DNA testing," 4 May 2018
Israel’s forceful response to the recent rallies and the seemingly indiscriminate killings led to international outrage, generating unusual levels of critical attention to Israel and galvanizing greater Palestinian enthusiasm for confrontation.

— imad alsoos, Washington Post, "Why Hamas is protesting in Gaza — and why it will continue," 8 Apr. 2018

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.