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Origin and history of indifferent

indifferent(adj.)

late 14c., "unbiased, impartial, not preferring one to the other" (of persons), "alike, equal" (of things), from Old French indifferent "impartial" or directly from Latin indifferentem (nominative indifferens) "not differing, not particular, of no consequence, neither good nor evil," from in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + differens, present participle of differre "set apart" (see differ). Extended sense of "apathetic, no more inclined to one thing than to another" first recorded early 15c.; that of "neither good nor bad" is from 1530s, on notion of "neither more nor less advantageous," but since 17c. it has tended toward "rather bad."

also from late 14c.

Entries linking to indifferent

differ(v.)

late 14c., "be unlike, dissimilar, distinct, or various," from Old French differer (14c.) and directly from Latin differre "to set apart, differ," from assimilated form of dis- "apart, away from" (see dis-) + ferre "to bear, carry," from PIE root *bher- (1) "to carry." Meaning "disagree, be of contrary opinion" is from 1560s.

Two senses that were present in Latin have gone separate ways in English in sense and spelling (probably based on different stress) since c. 1500, with defer (v.1) taking one set of meanings and differ (intransitive) the rest. Related: Differed; differing.

indifference(n.)

mid-15c., "quality of being neither good nor bad, neutral quality," from Latin indifferentia "want of difference, similarity," abstract noun from indifferentem (see indifferent). From late 15c. as "lack of prejudice, impartiality;" from 1650s as "state of being apathetic." Meaning "comparative mediocrity, inexcellence"" is from 1864.

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immaterial
c. 1400, "spiritual, incorporeal, not consisting of matter," from Medieval Latin immaterialis "not consisting of matter, spiritual," from assimilated form of in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + Late Latin materialis "of or belonging to matter" (see material (adj.)). Sense of "
so-so
mid-15c., "moderately well," 1520s, "indifferently, neither too poorly nor too well, only thus," from so (adv.), which is attested from mid-13c. as "in this state or condition." As an adjective, "mediocre, neither too good nor too bad," 1540s. Middle English earlier had sogates "
inert
1640s, "without inherent force, having no power to act or respond," from French inerte (16c.) or directly from Latin inertem (nominative iners) "unskilled, incompetent; inactive, helpless, weak, sluggish; worthless," used of stagnant fluids, uncultivated pastures, expressionless
nonchalant
also non-chalant, "indifferent, unconcerned, careless, cool," 1734, from French nonchalant "careless, indifferent," present...participle of nonchaloir "be indifferent to, have no concern for" (13c.), from non- "not" (see non-) + chaloir "have concern...
latitudinarian
Episcopal clergymen indifferent to doctrinal details; a pseudo-Latin construction from latitude in its meaning "freedom from...
frigid
1620s, "intensely cold," from Latin frigidus "cold, chill, cool," figuratively "indifferent," also "flat, dull, trivial,"...
shrug
Figurative use of shrug (something) off "be indifferent to" is by 1909....
neutral
1540s, in alchemy, "composed of contrasting elements which, in proper proportion, neutralize each other," also, of states, rulers, etc., "refraining from taking sides in a fight, not engaged on or interfering with either side" (probably from a similar meaning of neutralis in Medi
fade
early 14c., "lose brightness, grow pale," from Old French fader "become weak, wilt, wither," from fade (adj.) "pale, weak; insipid, tasteless" (12c.), probably from Vulgar Latin *fatidus, which is said to be a blending of Latin fatuus "silly, tasteless" and vapidus "flat, flavorl
nitre
c. 1400, "native sodium carbonate" (a sense now obsolete), from Old French nitre (13c.), from Latin nitrum, from Greek nitron, which is possibly of Eastern origin (compare Hebrew nether "carbonate of soda;" Egyptian ntr). Originally a word for native soda, but also associated sin

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