INDISTINGUISHABLE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does indistinguishable mean? 

• INDISTINGUISHABLE (adjective)
  The adjective INDISTINGUISHABLE has 2 senses:

1. exactly alike; incapable of being perceived as different

2. not capable of being distinguished or differentiated

  Familiarity information: INDISTINGUISHABLE used as an adjective is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• INDISTINGUISHABLE (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Exactly alike; incapable of being perceived as different

Synonyms:

identical; indistinguishable

Context example:

they wore indistinguishable hats

Similar:

same (closely similar or comparable in kind or quality or quantity or degree)

Derivation:

indistinguishability (exact sameness)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Not capable of being distinguished or differentiated

Synonyms:

indistinguishable; undistinguishable

Context example:

a colorless person quite indistinguishable from the colorless mass of humanity

Antonym:

distinguishable (capable of being perceived as different or distinct)

 Context examples 

Non-neoplastic polyps that arise from the stomach and are often indistinguishable from hyperplastic polyps.

(Gastric Cronkhite Canada Polyposis, NCI Thesaurus)

A peripheral blood picture resembling that of leukemia or indistinguishable from it on the basis of morphologic appearance alone.

(Leukemoid Reaction, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

Myeloid proliferations (nonreactive) may be morphologically indistinguishable from reactive processes.

(Mouse Myeloid Proliferation, NCI Thesaurus/MMHCC)

I passed along the tradesmen’s path, but found it all trampled down and indistinguishable.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Phenotypically, it is indistinguishable from Desulfovibrio fairfieldensis.

(Desulfovibrio desulfuricans, NCI Thesaurus)

A T-cell peripheral lymphoma morphologically indistinguishable from anaplastic large cell lymphoma, ALK-positive.

(Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma, ALK-Negative, NCI Thesaurus)

Researchers found that the skin rash of children with both atopic dermatitis and food allergy was indistinguishable from the skin rash of children with atopic dermatitis alone.

(Scientists identify unique subtype of eczema linked to food allergy, National Institutes of Health)

Grossly, it appears indistinguishable from encapsulated thymoma. — 2005

(Minimally Invasive Thymoma, NCI Thesaurus)

In 2014, routine diagnostic screening revealed a second transmissible cancer in Tasmanian devils, devil facial tumour 2 (DFT2), which causes facial tumours indistinguishable to the naked eye from those caused by DFT1, and which is probably also spread by biting.

(Human anti-cancer drugs could help treat transmissible cancers in Tasmanian devils, University of Cambridge)

B220+ CD19+ CD43+ CD43- Ly6d (ThB)+ Tdt+; Molecular: Clonal precursor B cell, IgH G/R, IgK G/G; Characteristic: High grade; Presumed cell of origin: Bone marrow precursor B-cell lymphoblast; Differential diagnosis: Histologically and cytologically indistinguishable from most pre-T lymphoblastic lymphoma, Burkitt lymphoma, and Burkitt-like lymphoma, but CD3- sIg- TdT+; Human counterpart and commentary.

(Mouse Precursor B Cell Lymphoblastic Lymphoma and Leukemia, NCI Thesaurus/MMHCC)