indiscriminateness

indiscriminateness — noun

1. the tendency to treat all people or things in the same way without judging which

1.nounC2
Definition

the tendency to treat all people or things in the same way without judging which ones are better, more important, or more suitable for a particular purpose

Example

The indiscriminateness of the hiring process meant skilled and unskilled applicants were treated the same.

indiscriminateness + of + noun phrase for describing a process

Noa criticised the indiscriminateness of the policy, which gave the same penalty to a first-time offender and a repeat criminal.

criticised the indiscriminateness of [something]

Common collocations
  • indiscriminateness of the policy
  • indiscriminateness of the system
  • indiscriminateness of the approach
  • indiscriminateness in assigning
  • indiscriminateness with which
Synonyms
  • indiscrimination

    rater and less common; same core meaning but found mainly in philosophical writing

  • undiscriminatingness

    very rare; 'indiscriminateness' is the standard form

  • lack of discernment

    more explanatory than a true synonym; used when the writer wants to be explicit about the absence of good judgment

Antonyms
  • selectivity

    the quality of carefully choosing the best or most suitable

  • discernment

    the ability to judge people and situations well

Usage Note

Nearly always used in formal or academic contexts. Commonly followed by 'of + noun phrase' (the indiscriminateness of the policy/system/approach).

Common Mistakes

The indiscriminateness of her made bad decisions.
Her indiscriminateness led to bad decisions.
'indiscriminateness' is an abstract quality, not an agent that acts directly.

2. the quality of doing something without any control or limit, often in a way that

2.nounC2
Definition

the quality of doing something without any control or limit, often in a way that is socially disapproved of — for example, spending money wildly, eating too much, or having many short romantic or sexual relationships

Example

The indiscriminateness of his spending eventually forced the family to sell their house.

indiscriminateness of [possessive] spending

The indiscriminateness of the company's hiring during the boom years troubled Takeshi deeply.

Common collocations
  • indiscriminateness of spending
  • indiscriminateness of attacks
  • indiscriminateness of hiring
  • indiscriminateness of construction
  • indiscriminateness of the programme
Synonyms
  • promiscuity

    strongly associated with sexual behaviour; 'indiscriminateness' has a broader range of contexts

  • unrestraint

    similar register but slightly less common; emphasises the absence of any limiting force

  • excessiveness

    focuses on going beyond what is reasonable rather than on failing to distinguish

Antonyms
  • restraint

    the quality of controlling one's own actions or feelings

  • moderation

    the quality of doing something within reasonable limits

Usage Note

Very negative connotation. Frequently used to describe excessive behaviour in financial, social, or military contexts. Often paired with a possessive noun or 'of'-phrase identifying the actor.

Common Mistakes

The indiscriminateness of shopping was a problem.
The indiscriminateness of her shopping was a problem.
the context needs to specify whose or what behaviour lacks restraint.

3. a state or quality of being made up of many different kinds of things or people

3.nounC2
Definition

a state or quality of being made up of many different kinds of things or people that do not seem to belong together as a group

Example

The indiscriminateness of the furniture in the shop — antique tables next to plastic chairs — gave it a strange charm.

indiscriminateness of [a collection / set / group] for describing mixed contents

Devika loved the indiscriminateness of the weekend market, where farmers sold vegetables beside stalls of old records and used shoes.

Common collocations
  • indiscriminateness of the collection
  • indiscriminateness of the market
  • indiscriminateness of the playlist
  • indiscriminateness of the furniture
  • indiscriminateness of the ingredients
Synonyms
  • heterogeneity

    more neutral and technical; lacks the critical tone that 'indiscriminateness' often carries

  • motleyness

    very rare; captures the sense of a jumble but is almost never used in modern English

  • miscellany

    a noun for a mixed collection, but 'indiscriminateness' describes the quality rather than the collection itself

Antonyms
  • homogeneity

    the quality of being made of similar or identical parts

  • uniformity

    the quality of being consistent and unchanging across all parts

Usage Note

This sense is the rarest of the three and can sound almost playful or critical depending on context. The 'mixture' always implies a lack of organising principle rather than a thoughtful blend.

Common Mistakes

The indiscriminateness of the salad was fresh.
The indiscriminateness of the salad ingredients was surprising.
the word describes the mixed nature of the collection, not a property of a single item.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four terms describe a failure to make useful or careful distinctions, but they differ in register and frequency. 'Indiscriminateness' is the standard noun form of the adjective 'indiscriminate' and is the most natural choice in formal writing — for example, 'The indiscriminateness of the policy harmed both the deserving and the undeserving.' 'Indiscrimination' is rarer and tends to appear in philosophical or sociological texts, where it can carry a more neutral, descriptive tone. 'Lack of discernment' is a multi-word alternative that is more explanatory and less academic — a parent might say 'He showed a complete lack of discernment in choosing his friends.' 'Undiscriminatingness' is grammatically possible but extremely rare; most writers find it awkward and avoid it.

indiscriminateness ↗indiscrimination ↗lack of discernmentundiscriminatingness

Common collocations

Phrases

  • indiscriminateness of the system
  • indiscriminateness of the approach
  • indiscriminateness of spending

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinEnglish

Formed from the adjective 'indiscriminate' (from Latin 'in-' meaning 'not' + 'discriminatus', past participle of 'discriminare' meaning 'to divide, separate') plus the suffix '-ness', which turns adjectives into nouns meaning 'the quality or state of being'. The adjective began appearing in English in the 1600s, and the noun form followed in the 1700s.

First known use

1598

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1a