Indefinitely

Part of speech: adverb

Pronunciation: /ɪnˈdɛfɪnɪtli/

Definitions

1. For an unlimited or unspecified period of time, with no clear endpoint established
2. For a time duration that is not determined or constrained, lacking a fixed conclusion
3. Without a specified limit or definitive endpoint, continuing for an unspecified amount of time

Etymology: "Indefinitely" is simply "indefinite" with the adverb-forming suffix "-ly" added. The adjective "indefinite" combines "in-", meaning "not", with "definite," which comes from Latin "definire," to limit or bound. So an indefinite thing is one without a boundary or endpoint. The suffix has a longer past than the word itself. "-ly" descends from an old Germanic element meaning "body" or "form," which appeared in words like "like" in the sense of "having the form of." Over centuries, "-lík" in Old English became "-lice" and then "-ly," gradually turning a description of shape or appearance into a marker of manner. "Indefinitely," then, is a word about how an action is carried out: in a way that has no set limit.

Synonyms: perpetually, eternally

Antonyms: definitely, certainly