undetermined

adjective

ˌən-di-ˈtər-mənd How to pronounce undetermined (audio)
Definition of undeterminednext
1
as in vague
not seen or understood clearly an undetermined form seen only from a distance

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in pending
not yet settled or decided the fate of the prisoners is still undetermined

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of undetermined The company agreed in the consent decree to pay $600,000 to the human resources manager, and an undetermined amount to female, Black and Afghan job applicants whom the company didn’t hire. — Celia Frazier, Denver Post, 26 Sep. 2026 Riverside Fire Chief Greg White told The Times that the investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing, and the cause remains undetermined. — Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026 During the incident, the suspects allegedly stole the clerk’s cellular phone, watch and an undetermined amount of cash, police said. — Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 23 Sep. 2026 The state’s autopsy was performed July 7, and a separate, out-of-state autopsy requested by Wells’ family — which described his manner of death as undetermined pending further investigation — was performed July 10. — Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for undetermined
Recent Examples of Synonyms for undetermined
  1. vague
  2. pending
  3. faint
  4. unsettled
  5. unclear
  6. unresolved
  7. debatable
  8. undecided
Adjective
  • Recent criticism The century-old restaurant guide is famous for its secrecy; its inspectors are anonymous and the company releases only vague information about their evaluation process.
    — Henri Hollis, AJC.com, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The plaintiffs had argued those terms were vague, and that the council selectively used them to silence prominent critics, violating their First Amendment rights.
    — Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of vague
Adjective
  • Dozens of lawsuits remain pending, including claims related to the handling of mass pro-immigration protests since last year, probably putting taxpayers on the hook for more large payouts in the future.
    — Sean Greene, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Those tax charges, involving Rivera’s 2017 and 2018 returns, remain pending.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of pending
Adjective
  • But take a walk inside and the ground is laden with faint slabs of rock, gravestones from a centuries-old Indigenous family cemetery that had been obscured by the passage of time and neglect.
    — Jason Motlagh, Rolling Stone, 22 Oct. 2026
  • However, the light cast by the waxing moon — just four days from being full — will likely reduce the number of visible meteors by hiding fainter Orionids from sight.
    — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of faint
Adjective
  • However, the lack of a hybrid option, the touchscreen-heavy climate controls, and the occasionally unsettled ride prevent the Atlas from separating itself from the pack.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 24 Oct. 2026
  • But instead of bringing unsettled weather, the offshore storm helped produce cloud-free skies from Maine to Florida.
    — Washington Post, Washington Post, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of unsettled
Adjective
  • The scope of the investigation into Omar is unclear, though Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin has suggested that authorities were examining potential crimes related to her family's immigration paperwork.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2026
  • He’s also accused of having improper or unclear license plates, no proof of registration and insurance, and no proof of a driver’s license.
    — Leigh Egan, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of unclear
Adjective
  • Kim Hong-Cheol, the South Korean military official, said leaving the dispute over the military demarcation line unresolved would increase the risk of accidental clashes because troops from both sides act on their own understanding of the line.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Western governments backing the peace initiative are seeking a new formula to break the impasse while acknowledging that territorial and security questions remain unresolved.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of unresolved
Adjective
  • Whether a 7-inch display is really the ideal way to watch TV is debatable, but for recipes, video calls and background entertainment, the format makes sense.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 14 Oct. 2026
  • While the advantages of retinoids like retinol—firmer, clearer, and brighter skin—are essentially fact at this point, what constitutes the best retinoid is a bit more debatable.
    — Deanna Pai, Vogue, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of debatable
Adjective
  • For now the nature of our universe—or universes—and the quantum rules that guide it are as undecided as the toss of a coin.
    — Philipp Strasberg, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Surrogates for El-Sayed, including local leaders and high-profile Democratic officials, have been holding house party events throughout the state to talk with undecided Jewish voters.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of undecided

Browse Nearby Words

undetected
undetermined
undeterred
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Undetermined.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/undetermined. Accessed 26 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of disparate

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All