indiscriminate

[in-di-skrim-uh-nit]

adjective

1. not discriminating or discerning; lacking in care, judgment, selectivity, etc..

   indiscriminate in one's friendships.

2. done at random or without making distinctions; haphazard.

   indiscriminate slaughter.

3. not kept apart or divided; thrown together; jumbled.

   an indiscriminate combination of colors and styles.

   Synonyms: varied, motley, mixed, heterogeneous, random

indiscriminate

/ ˌɪndɪˈskrɪmɪnɪt /

adjective

1. lacking discrimination or careful choice; random or promiscuous

2. jumbled; confused

Other Word Forms

• indiscriminately adverb
• indiscriminateness noun
• indiscrimination noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of indiscriminate¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; in- ³ + discriminate (adjective)

Synonym Study

See miscellaneous.

Example Sentences

Monday’s Supreme Court order gives the go-ahead on what critics called “indiscriminate” immigration stops that led to thousands of arrests and set off days of protests in the Los Angeles area.

From Los Angeles Times

Monday’s Supreme Court order gave the green light to what critics called “indiscriminate” immigration stops that led to thousands of arrests and set off days of protests in the Los Angeles area.

From Los Angeles Times

But the two leaders have taken starkly different positions on the White House’s indiscriminate raids and deployment of National Guard troops.

From Los Angeles Times

“We are disturbed by what can only be described as an act of terror and indiscriminate roundup of Latino street vendors, day laborers, and people who were going about their daily lives,” the organization stated.

From Los Angeles Times

At City Hall, officials have made it a priority to protect the area’s immigrant residents and workforce — whether that involves bolstering tenant rights against predatory landlords, or joining a civil rights lawsuit against indiscriminate raids.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• aimless 
• extensive 
• haphazard 
• unplanned 
• wholesale