Meanings
comparative more ill-defined · superlative most ill-defined
- Poorly defined; blurry, out of focus; lacking a clear boundary.
Are you sick, or ill-defined? / Are you lost, or are you just difficult to come by?
2020, Myles McCabe, “Stellar Abattoir”, in Triceratops, performed by ME REX1 more example
An ill-defined dislike, a little like jealousy, arose in Henrietta's mind; a little, however, mitigated by observing that the gentleman instantly caught sight of herself; and that, when not absolutely forced to look at his companion, he looked towards her.
1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume III, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, pages 45–46Synonyms: fuzzy
- mathematicsDefined in an inconsistent way.
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectivePoorly defined; blurry, out of focus; lacking a clear boundary.
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Cite this entry
ill-defined. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ill-defined
“ill-defined.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ill-defined. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ill-defined,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ill-defined.
Source: ill-defined on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.