indifference

UK/ɪnˈdɪf.ɹəns/US/ɪnˈdɪf.ɹəns/

nounC1Common in everyday speech and writing · #8,072 of 15,258neutral

Indifference is the cool state of simply not caring either way. Studied indifference, met with indifference, an air of indifference.

The opposite of love is indifference rather than hate is the standard observation, and it holds — hatred still grants importance. Public indifference is what campaigners fear most, since an argument can be answered and a shrug cannot.

Definitions of indifference

1nounindifferenceThe state of not caring either way.C1
“The government's indifference to the flood victims made people furious.”

indifference is a state of feeling.

Where it comes from

Latin indifferentia means no difference — in-, not, plus differre, to differ.

Latin
indifferentia
Middle French
indifférence
English, today
indifference

From Middle French indifférence, from Latin indifferentia. by surface analysis, in- + difference.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

Practised in Feelings & Character

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indifference in the wild

In economics, an indifference curve connects points on a graph representing different quantities of two goods, points between which a consumer is indifferent.
Indifference curve
One can also refer to each point on the indifference curve as rendering the same level of utility (satisfaction) for the consumer.
Indifference curve
The principle of indifference (also called principle of insufficient reason) is a rule for assigning epistemic probabilities.
Principle of indifference
Apathy, also referred to as indifference, is a lack of feeling, emotion, interest, and/or concern about something.
Apathy
National indifference is the status of lacking a strong and consistent national identity.
National indifference

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. These sentences were written by other people about their own subjects; they are here to show the word at work, not as anybody’s opinion.

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