indiscriminate
UK[ˌɪndɪˈskrɪmɪnət]US[ˌɪndɪˈskrɪmɪnət]
adj
Done, acting, or chosen without careful judgment or at random.
adj
Affecting or harming many different people or things in a careless, unfair way.
Morpheme Breakdown
in
discriminate
in
not
discriminate
to distinguish
Etymology
The word 'indiscriminate' is built upon the negation of the concept of distinction. Its core, 'discriminate,' originates from the Latin discriminare, meaning to separate or distinguish, itself derived from discrimen (a dividing line or crisis), which comes from discernere (to separate, discern). The prefix 'in-' (not) is added directly to this base. Therefore, the literal construction "not able to separate or distinguish" evolved logically into the modern abstract meanings of acting without careful choice or making no distinctions between different cases, often implying a harmful or chaotic lack of selectivity.
Analysis
Structure: in (not) + discriminate (to distinguish)
- in: A Latin prefix meaning "not" or "without," serving a negating function.
- discriminate: From the Latin verb discriminare (to divide, distinguish), functioning as the core lexical base.
Examples
The indiscriminate bombing of the city caused widespread civilian casualties.
He was an indiscriminate collector, filling his house with everything from valuable art to worthless junk.
The pesticide was used indiscriminately, harming beneficial insects along with the pests.