wait indefinitely

USAGE SUMMARY

"wait indefinitely" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when someone is waiting for something but without a definite time limit. For example, "We had to wait indefinitely for his arrival before we could begin the meeting."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

49 human-written examples

But Powers said: "We can't wait indefinitely for the government to make a decision.

The Guardian

Since neither process has sent anything, both will wait indefinitely for the other to send it data, resulting in deadlock.

University of California, Berkeley

We remain open to productive discussions, but we cannot wait indefinitely while our networks are being distributed without permission".

The New York Times

Some advisers argued, as they do even today, that if they waited for Mr. Arafat they might just wait indefinitely.

The New York Times

Readers cannot wait indefinitely, forks at the ready, to get the lowdown on an important new restaurant.

The New York Times - Food

Ms. Abe and Mr. Laurens could not wait indefinitely, they said, so they found a new home.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

11 human-written examples

It is about ensuring that parents of children with special needs are not waiting indefinitely for tuition reimbursements".

The New York Times

One baby is a patient baby, and waits indefinitely until its mother is ready to feed it.

The Guardian

Afterwards, Bannister was the picture of insouciance, dismissing the unfavorable conditions -- "there comes a moment when you can't go on waiting indefinitely" -- but his success was the reward for a finely calibrated approach, based on teamwork.

The New York Times - Books

After a failure is detected, the sender is notified to avoid waiting indefinitely.

Journal of the Brazilian Computer Society

Note that MPI by itself does not recognize network faults, for instance if the link between two processes is broken and one process is waiting for a message from the other process it will keep waiting indefinitely.

Journal of the Brazilian Computer Society

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "wait indefinitely" when you want to convey that there is no fixed end time for a waiting period, and the duration could be very long or uncertain.

Common error

While "wait indefinitely" suggests a potentially long delay, ensure that the surrounding text doesn't imply complete inaction. The subject might still be preparing or monitoring the situation while waiting.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "wait indefinitely" functions as a verb phrase, where 'wait' is the main verb and 'indefinitely' is an adverb modifying the verb. Ludwig AI confirms that is grammatically correct.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

75%

Academia

13%

Science

12%

Less common in

Wiki

4%

Formal & Business

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "wait indefinitely" is a common and grammatically sound expression used to convey the lack of a defined time limit for a waiting period. As Ludwig AI confirms, the phrase is suitable for various contexts, though most commonly found in news and media. It is useful when describing situations where the duration of waiting is uncertain or could be very long. While "wait indefinitely" implies a potentially lengthy delay, it's important to ensure that surrounding text doesn't suggest complete inaction. Related phrases such as "wait for an unspecified duration" or "wait without a deadline" offer similar meanings with slight variations in emphasis. The expert rating confirms its consistent use and grammatical correctness.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

wait for an unspecified duration

Emphasizes the lack of a defined timeframe for the waiting period.

wait without a deadline

Highlights the absence of a set date or time by which the waiting should end.

await without limit

Highlights the absence of any restriction on the duration of the waiting period.

wait for the foreseeable future

Suggests the waiting will continue as long as current circumstances persist.

remain in a holding pattern

Implies a state of suspension or inaction while waiting.

be kept on hold

Focuses on the act of being delayed or suspended by an external party.

linger in anticipation

Adds a sense of prolonged expectation while waiting.

cool one's heels

An idiomatic expression for waiting idly or impatiently.

mark time

Suggests waiting by doing something that is not essential.

bide one's time

Waiting patiently until an opportunity arises.

FAQs

How can I use "wait indefinitely" in a sentence?

You can use "wait indefinitely" to describe situations where there's no set time limit for waiting, such as "Asylum seekers are being told to "wait indefinitely" in Mexico while their humanitarian claims move through the backlogged American immigration courts."

What are some alternatives to "wait indefinitely"?

Alternatives include "wait for an unspecified duration", "wait without a deadline", or "wait for the foreseeable future". These alternatives convey a similar sense of prolonged and uncertain waiting.

Is it correct to say "waiting indefinitely"?

Yes, "waiting indefinitely" is grammatically correct. For example, "As a result, their cases are at a standstill, and they're stuck "waiting indefinitely" in the jail's lockdown unit."

What's the difference between "wait indefinitely" and "wait forever"?

"Wait indefinitely" implies a potentially very long, but not necessarily infinite, waiting period. "Wait forever", on the other hand, suggests an infinite waiting period with no expectation of a resolution. "Wait forever" is more absolute.