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
Chris Boyette, CNN Money, 27 Apr. 2025
Their campaign has been drifting towards a nondescript conclusion for several weeks.
—Andy Naylor, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2025
Somewhere in the middle, there was slide one, in which Gomez wore a white turtleneck and subtle makeup look while cuddled up with fiancé Benny Blanco at nondescript restaurant.
—Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 20 Apr. 2025
The first stop on the Stations of the Cross was near the corner of the nondescript church, which has a grayish facade and bright red doors.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 20 Apr. 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 11 May. 2025.
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nondescript
adjective
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