nondescript

adjective

non·​de·​script ˌnän-di-ˈskript How to pronounce nondescript (audio)
1
: belonging or appearing to belong to no particular class or kind : not easily described
… a nondescript mixture of styles in the worst possible taste.George Bernard Shaw
2
: lacking distinctive or interesting qualities : dull, drab
Their performance was disappointingly nondescript.
nondescript noun

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How Nondescript Was Formed

It is relatively easy to describe the origins of nondescript (and there's a hint in the first part of this sentence). Nondescript was formed by combining the prefix non- (meaning "not") with descriptus,the past participle of the Latin verb describere, meaning "to describe." It is no surprise, then, that when the word was adopted in the late 17th century by English speakers, it was typically applied to something (such as a genus or species) that had not yet been described. Other descriptive descendants of describere in English include describe, description, and descriptive itself, as well as the rare philosophical term descriptum ("something that is described").

Examples of nondescript in a Sentence

I work in one of the nondescript office buildings downtown. Their performance was disappointingly nondescript.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In a nondescript field in the northern United States, two white canids race through the snow, their massive paws leaving prints long absent from the modern wilderness. Nia Bowers, USA Today, 24 May 2025 With many human rights under threat with our current administration—including LGBTQ+ rights and resources for trans youth—a more nondescript and label-free uniform can act as a form of protection, or even a form of rebellion. Christian Allaire, Vogue, 15 May 2025 There’s a 5,200-square-foot fitness center, a nondescript screening room, and an oversize vending machine where a person paying close to $4,000 a month for a studio can rent a Dyson or pick up a late-night pint of Ben and Jerry’s. Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 10 Apr. 2025 His slow, steady ascent in Indiana after two nondescript seasons in Boston has caught almost everyone unawares. John Hollinger, New York Times, 21 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for nondescript

Word History

Etymology

non- + Latin descriptus, past participle of describere to describe

First Known Use

1789, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of nondescript was in 1789

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Cite this Entry

“Nondescript.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nondescript. Accessed 7 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

nondescript

adjective
non·​de·​script ˌnän-di-ˈskript How to pronounce nondescript (audio)
: belonging or appearing to belong to no particular class or kind : not easily described
nondescript noun

More from Merriam-Webster on nondescript

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