indefinite

/ɪnˈdɛfɪnɪt/

//ɪnˈdɛfɪnɪt// adj

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"indefinite" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“indefinite” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #16,942. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#16,942
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
14
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Without limit; forever, or until further notice; not definite.

Corpus desk

Index EN-indefinite · indefinite · English

indefinite · rank #16,942 · 14 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #16,942
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 14 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH immortality

Nearest frequency peer: immortality (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Frequency neighbourhood for “indefinite”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “indefinite” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

indefinite vs infinite
80% similar
indefinite vs indefinitely
83% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for indefinite
PropertyValue
Headwordindefinite
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ɪnˈdɛfɪnɪt/
Letters10
Frequency rank#16,942
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “indefinite” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). indefinite lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around indefinite (IPA /ɪnˈdɛfɪnɪt/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #16,942 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for indefinite, with forms such as "idnefinite", "inddefinite", and "indeffinite". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "infinite", "indefinitely", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Late Latin indēfīnītus. Morphologically in- + definite. The correct English form is indefinite, spelled I-N-D-E-F-I-N-I-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Without limit; forever, or until further notice; not definite.
  2. 2
    Vague or unclear.
  3. 3
    Undecided or uncertain.
  4. 4
    Being an integral without specified limits.
  5. 5
    Designating an unspecified or unidentified person or thing or group of persons or things.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how indefinite appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Your account will be suspended for an indefinite period of time.
  2. A federal judge on Wednesday blocked the government from enforcing a controversial statute about the indefinite detention without trial of terrorism suspects.

Etymology

From Late Latin indēfīnītus. Morphologically in- + definite.

Synonyms

unlimitedunrestrictedhazyindistinctvagueindeterminateunsettledindecisiveunsure

This word in other languages

indefinido(Español)unbegrenzt(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • idnefinite
  • inddefinite
  • indeffinite
  • indefiinte
  • indefiniet
  • indefinitte
  • indefinnite
  • indefintie
  • indefniite
  • indeifnite
  • indfeinite
  • inedfinite
  • inndefinite
  • nidefinite

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of indefinite - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

idnefinite2inddefinite1indeffinite1indefiinte2indefiniet2indefinitte1indefinnite1indefintie2
Edit distance from "indefinite"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "indefinite"?
"indefinite" is spelled I-N-D-E-F-I-N-I-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪnˈdɛfɪnɪt/.
What does "indefinite" mean?
As an adjective, "indefinite" means: Without limit; forever, or until further notice; not definite.
What words are commonly confused with "indefinite"?
"indefinite" is commonly confused with "infinite", "indefinitely". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "indefinite"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "indefinite" is /ɪnˈdɛfɪnɪt/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "indefinite"?
From Late Latin indēfīnītus. Morphologically in- + definite. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "indefinite", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

insightful#16,944morphology#16,977ordination#16,985persuasive#16,992

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (14 here; floor ≥5).

expulsion14 variantsmonstrous14 variantsprojector14 variantsconverter14 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "indefinite". Here's where to go from here.

  • "indefinite" maps to 2 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "infinite". View pair
  • 14 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #16,942 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "I" letter cohort. I–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list