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indefinability

indefinability

9.9
A state where you cannot describe something exactly
  • noun
  • /ˌɪndɪˈfaɪnəˌbɪlɪti/
translation icon : indefinibilidad
  • His personality is characterized by an indefinability that challenges other people to understand him.

Tarski proves the indefinability of truth using Geddle's result.

Examples

  • Maybe Ohio, in its stubborn indefinability, really is the whole country.

    Academic text (2001)
  • Tarski proves the indefinability of truth using Geddle's result.

  • The artist's work embodies an indefinability that captivates viewers from all walks of life.

  • The concept of love has an indefinability that makes it difficult to discuss in purely rational terms.

Synonyms

elusiveness
vsindefinability
3 7.4

Hard to find or understand

focuses on absolute failure to define precisely rather than general difficulty or avoidance
ineffability
vsindefinability
9.9

A state of being impossible to fully describe in words

is about being impossible to define exactly rather than just hard to put into words
indescribability
vsindefinability
9.8

Something you cannot say in words

focuses on absolute inability to define things precisely rather than mere difficulty
indescribableness
vsindefinability
9.9

A state that is impossible or very hard to describe in words

emphasizes true impossibility to define precisely rather than mere difficulty

Antonyms

152 3.0

How easy it is to understand what someone says or writes

definability
  • Specialized
7.3

A quality that lets something be clearly described or explained

How Definable

clarity
152 3.0
ambiguity
57 6.3
vagueness
8 6.1
indefinability
9.9

Surface Forms

Morphology

indefinability = indefinable (transparent) = in + define + able + ity

This is a standard noun formation from the adjective 'indefinable', meaning the state or quality of being indefinable.

Etymology

Indefinability starts with in- meaning 'not' and comes from define, which is related to words like finish and finite that mean 'end' or 'limit'. So, indefinability is the quality of something you cannot clearly describe or put a limit on.