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.
Burberry’s Front Row Beauty at the Burberry show was stripped—little-to-no makeup, straight back cornrows, and nondescript manicures on models, including Naomi Campbell. India Espy-Jones, Essence, 26 Feb. 2025 This time, his neon green shirt and leather jacket called back to a quite nondescript look Dylan rocked at a 2018 appearance in Singapore. Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 24 Feb. 2025 Perhaps that’s because Garden Society’s Grosse Pointe isn’t really specific enough to separate it from any other nondescript upscale suburb on television. Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Feb. 2025 Tucked away in nondescript buildings, data centers store and transmit the contents of the internet. Calmatters, The Mercury News, 19 Feb. 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 10 Mar. 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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