nondescript
adjective
George Bernard Shaw
Did you know?
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
April Long, Allure, 24 June 2026
Despite the colorful appearance of the caterpillar, the adult moth is a nondescript brown.
—Samantha Johnson, Martha Stewart, 20 June 2026
On the shore of a nondescript, decaying seaside town, a boat that went missing 30 years ago suddenly reappears.
—Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026
More shows followed, including many nights at the Windmill, a small, nondescript pub in Brixton that has won a reputation as an incubator for some of the buzziest bands in Britain, including Sorry, Squid, Black Midi, and Black Country, New Road.
—Simon Vozick-Levinson, Rolling Stone, 18 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for nondescript
Cite this Entry
“Nondescript.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nondescript. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
nondescript
adjective
