nondescript
adjective
George Bernard Shaw
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How Nondescript Was Formed
It is relatively easy to describe the origins of nondescript (and there's a hint in the first part of this sentence). Nondescript was formed by combining the prefix non- (meaning "not") with descriptus,the past participle of the Latin verb describere, meaning "to describe." It is no surprise, then, that when the word was adopted in the late 17th century by English speakers, it was typically applied to something (such as a genus or species) that had not yet been described. Other descriptive descendants of describere in English include describe, description, and descriptive itself, as well as the rare philosophical term descriptum ("something that is described").
Examples of nondescript in a Sentence
Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 2025
That’s also around the same time lawyers formed a host of nondescript LLCs, which have been slowly buying property around Burnham Yard.
—Matthew Geiger, Denver Post, 12 Aug. 2025
For acts such as Skaggs and The Oak Ridge Boys, among many others, a nondescript office plaza in Music City's Hendersonville suburb has fostered country's bluegrass and gospel roots for generations.
—Marcus K. Dowling, The Tennessean, 9 Aug. 2025
My childhood best friend went to the local Methodist church, a nondescript, one-story white building on the road adjacent to my suburban Pennsylvania neighborhood.
—Angela Lian, Travel + Leisure, 9 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nondescript
Cite this Entry
“Nondescript.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nondescript. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.
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nondescript
adjective
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