Undefinierten

Undefinierten is a grammatical form of the German adjective undefiniert, meaning undefined or not defined. As an inflected form, it does not constitute a separate lexical entry with its own meaning; it is the declined form used to modify nouns in various plural contexts, typically when a definite article or determiner accompanies the noun.

In practice, undefinierten appears mainly in plural phrases and in well-established technical or formal contexts. Examples include die undefinierten Werte (the undefined values), die undefinierten Zustände (the undefined states), and den undefinierten Werten (to/for the undefined values, dative plural). Der undefinierte Zustand is the singular form in nominative, while die undefinierte Situation would be the feminine singular with no definite article, and der undefinierte Zustand with a definite article in masculine singular. The plural genitive form is der undefinierten Werte.

Usage and nuance: undefiniert is the base adjective used for general statements, while undefinierten is the inflected plural or determiner-bound form. The term often appears in mathematics, logic, computer science, and philosophy to describe quantities, concepts, or conditions without a precise value or definition. It is common to encounter phrases such as undefinierte Variablen oder undefinierte Werte in explanations of undefined behavior, indeterminate results, or incomplete specifications.

Etymology: formed from the prefix un- plus definieren, yielding undefiniert; undefinierten is simply one of its declined forms. See also undefiniert, undefinierte, and related terms for variations across genders and numbers.