indefinite pronoun
- noun
- /ˌɪndɪˈfɪnɪt ˈproʊnaʊn/
- Specialized
:
pronombre indefinido
- When you say, 'Somebody left their bag,' 'somebody' functions as an indefinite pronoun.
Examples
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In the sentence, 'Is there anyone at home?', 'anyone' is an indefinite pronoun.
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Words like 'everything' and 'nobody' are often used as indefinite pronouns in English.
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An indefinite pronoun does not refer to a specific person.
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Many indefinite pronouns can be used in questions.
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In the sentence, 'Does anyone know the answer?', 'anyone' is an example of an indefinite pronoun.
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In English, words like 'everybody' and 'anybody' are categorized as indefinite pronouns.
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When you say, 'Nothing is impossible,' the word 'nothing' serves as an indefinite pronoun.
Antonyms
- Specialized
1
1.0
A word that refers to a person or thing, for example I, you, he, she
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a pronoun that does not refer to a specific person, thing, or amount' is directly and compositionally derived from 'indefinite' (not fixed or clearly known) + 'pronoun' (a word replacing a noun). This is a straightforward, cross-linguistically common compound concept, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should be able to infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
Indefinite pronoun comes from the parts indefinite, meaning 'not fixed', and pronoun, meaning 'a word that stands for a noun'. Picture a word that points at 'someone' or 'something' without naming them, and you will see why it means a pronoun that does not point to a named person, thing, or amount.