different between adjustable vs indefinite

English

Etymology

adjust +? -able

Adjective

adjustable (comparative more adjustable, superlative most adjustable)

1. capable of being adjusted

Translations

Noun

adjustable (plural adjustables)

1. Anything that can be adjusted.
   • 1991, Stephen King, Needful Things

     "He came in. He had a gun. He was crazy. You can see he was crazy; look what he did to Ricky. He thought Ricky was me. He wanted to steal my adjustables. Look."
     Sonny smiled and tilted the steel case so Henry could look at the jumble of rusty ironmongery inside.

English

Etymology

From Late Latin ind?f?n?tus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?n?d?f?n?t/
• Hyphenation: in?def?i?nite

Adjective

indefinite (comparative more indefinite, superlative most indefinite)

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

   the indefinite article

Synonyms

• (without limit): unlimited, unrestricted
• (vague or unclear): hazy; see also Thesaurus:indistinct or Thesaurus:vague
• (undecided or uncertain): indeterminate, unsettled, indecisive, unsure
• (an integral without specified limits):
• (designating an unspecified thing):

Derived terms

• indefinitely
• indefinite article
• indefiniteness
• indef

Related terms

• indeterminate

Translations

Noun

indefinite (plural indefinites)

1. (grammar) A word or phrase that designates an unspecified or unidentified person or thing or group of persons or things.

Italian

Adjective

indefinite f pl

1. feminine plural of indefinito

Latin

Adjective

ind?f?n?te

1. vocative masculine singular of ind?f?n?tus

References

• indefinite in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• indefinite in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré Latin-Français, Hachette