amorphous

adjective

amor·​phous ə-ˈmȯr-fəs How to pronounce amorphous (audio)
1
a
: having no definite form : shapeless
an amorphous cloud mass
b
: being without definite character or nature : unclassifiable
an amorphous segment of society
c
: lacking organization or unity
an amorphous style of writing
2
: having no real or apparent crystalline form
an amorphous mineral
amorphously adverb
amorphousness noun

Examples of amorphous in a Sentence

Astronomers think our solar system took shape when an amorphous interstellar cloud of dust and gas collapsed under its own weight. The conservation of angular momentum, or spin, kept some of the material from simply falling all the way to the newborn sun; instead it settled into a pancake shape. Michael W. Werner et al., Scientific American, June 2009
Most library and academic accrediting associations either ignore weeding or have general, rather amorphous, standards. Among the more specific standards are those of the American Library Associations' 1967 public library systems standards, which suggest annual weeding of at least 5 percent of "community collections," with headquarters libraries weeding more cautiously … LJ Special Report, 1990
A quarter of a century ago, author Betty Friedan stumbled upon a "problem that has no name."" Middle-class American women were prisoners of gilded cages, she argued, unfulfilled by their exclusive roles as wives and mother. Friedan gave the amorphous problem, and the book that described it, a name—"The Feminine Mystique"—and with it helped launch one of the most transforming social movements in modern history." Eloise Salholz et al., Newsweek, 31 Mar. 1986
Oblivious to all the attention, the big cat calmly sashayed to a concave little hollow scooped out of an artificial granite cliff-side at the rear of her cage. There, her four sleeping, newborn cubs were nestled one atop another so tightly that they formed one amorphous lump of fur. Jon Luoma, Audubon, November 1982
an amorphous segment of society amorphous lumps of clay magically transformed by a skilled potter's hands into works of art
Recent Examples on the Web This omission of Black (and Indigenous) Argentines by an Argentinean writer is a noticeable lapse in a book that is otherwise remarkable in its ability to name the amorphous discomforts of modern love—and in its author’s willingness to imagine new ways of relating to one another. Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2024 As remote and hybrid business models have made workwear vague and amorphous, the lines between casual and corporate style are increasingly blurred. Channing Smith, Glamour, 4 Mar. 2024 Rather than simply waving our hands at an amorphous murkiness, the thinking was that this special type of relationship could be methodically categorized. Lance Eliot, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024 Instead, self-censorship has dominated and been attributed to amorphous behind-the-scenes and commercial pressures. Patrick Frater, Variety, 1 Feb. 2024 The top of his head looked amorphous, like mist fading into the dark. Jennifer Berry Hawes, ProPublica, 11 Jan. 2024 The absence of federal legalization leaves Colorado’s cannabis industry operating in an amorphous gray area, said Ricardo Baca, a longtime legal marijuana proponent and former Denver Post reporter who helped launch The Cannabist website in 2013. John Aguilar, Hartford Courant, 4 Jan. 2024 Current passing through the glass can alter its phase between a low-resistance crystalline state and a high-resistance amorphous state. IEEE Spectrum, 2 Jan. 2024 Ideally, an insulating material for 2D semiconductors should be amorphous (non-crystalline) and also 2D. ...and coal to their rescue? IEEE Spectrum, 24 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'amorphous.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Greek amorphos, from a- + morphē form

First Known Use

circa 1727, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of amorphous was circa 1727

Dictionary Entries Near amorphous

Cite this Entry

“Amorphous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/amorphous. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

amorphous

adjective
amor·​phous ə-ˈmȯr-fəs How to pronounce amorphous (audio)
: having no fixed form
an amorphous cloud
amorphously adverb
amorphousness noun

Medical Definition

amorphous

adjective
amor·​phous ə-ˈmȯr-fəs How to pronounce amorphous (audio)
1
: having no apparent shape or organization
2
: having no real or apparent crystalline form

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