indifferent

adj

1. Ambivalent; unconcerned; uninterested, apathetic.

   “He was indifferent to the proposal, since it didn’t affect him, either way.”

   ““I must not hope to be ever situated as you are, in the midst of every dearest connexion, and therefore I cannot expect that simply growing older should make me indifferent about letters.” / “Indifferent! Oh! no—I never conceived you could become indifferent. Letters are no matter of indifference; they are generally a very positive curse.””

   “When you have a hundred francs in the world you are liable to the most craven panics. When you have only three francs you are quite indifferent; for three francs will feed you till tomorrow, and you cannot think further than that. You are bored, but you are not afraid.”

2. Indicating or reflecting a lack of concern or care.

   “She responded with an indifferent shrug.”

   “Donald appeared not to see her at all, and answered her wise little remarks with curtly indifferent monosyllables […]”

   “Then she shrugged, the mildest, most indifferent gesture he had ever seen, and smiled.”

   “‘Wonderful, Florence,’ I said, producing the ritual phrases: ‘I don’t know what I would do without you.’ But of course I do know. I would sink into the indifferent squalor of old age.”

   ““As a result, OCR found that the district’s pattern of inconsistent responses to reports it received of sexual harassment – infrequently responding under Title IX or not responding at all – rose to the level that the district’s response to some families’ sexual harassment reports was deliberately indifferent to students’ civil rights,” a news release from DOE reads.”

3. Mediocre (usually used negatively in modern usage).

   “The long distance and the indifferent roads made the journey impossible.”

   “The Blue Jays' performance has been indifferent this season.”

   “When Mrs. Honour had made her Report from the Landlord, Sophia, with much Difficulty, procured some indifferent Horses, which brought her to the Inn, where Jones had been confined rather by the Misfortune of meeting with a Surgeon, than by having met with a broken Head.”

   “[T]he state-rooms are unaired, and in indifferent order, since of late years.”

   “Suddenly Barbara remembered the party where she had first met Ruth Gardnor with her husband. The night of the dinner party. And the cello: it had been an indifferent performance.”

4. Having no preference.

   “I am indifferent between the two plans.”

   “Let Guilt or Fear / Disturb Man’s Rest: Cato knows neither of ’em, / Indiff’rent in his Choice to sleep or die.”

   “The scientific worker aims at knowledge and is quite indifferent whether people like or dislike the knowledge he produces.”

5. (dated)Unbiased, impartial, judging fairly.

   “On October 7, 1640, the Massachusetts General Court attempted to solve the problem by a law stating that property seized for debts was to be assessed "at such prizes [prices] as the same shalbee valewed [shall be valued] at by 3 understanding and indifferent men, to bee chosen, the one by the creditor, another by the debtor, and the third by the marshall […]"”

6. Not making a difference; without significance or importance.

   “Even if one appliance consumes an indifferent amount of energy when left on stand-by overnight, together they can represent 10% of the electricity demand of a household.”

   “[…] But I am arm’d, / And dangers are to me indifferent.”

   “[E]very thing in the world is indifferent but sin.”

   “His gestures, his gait, his grizzled beard, his slightest and most indifferent acts, the very fashion of his garments, were odious in the clergyman’s sight; […]”

   “We talked of indifferent things, and watched the juggler who was tossing torches in the Stadium, for twilight was falling.”

7. Being in the state of neutral equilibrium.
8. (obsolete)Not different; matching.

   “[…] let their heads be sleekly comb’d, their blue coats brush’d and their garters of an indifferent knit”

noun

1. A person who is indifferent or apathetic.

adv

1. (obsolete)To some extent, in some degree (intermediate between very and not at all); moderately, tolerably, fairly.

   “The face of the Moon appearing to me to be full of indifferent high mountains.”

   “Get thee [to] a Nunry, why wouldst thou be a breeder of ſinners, I am my ſelfe indifferent honest, but yet I could accuse mee of ſuch things, that it were better my Mother had not bourne mee […]”

2. (obsolete)Without distinction or preference for some over others.

   “Newton. My Maſters, you that be the chiefeſt of the rout, The King intreats you kindly here by me, To come and ſpeake with him a word or two. Iacke Straw. Sirra, if the King would any thinge with vs, Tell him the way is indifferent to meete vs. Newton. You are too many to be talkt with all, […]”