Both Uses of
indifferent
in
Bartleby, the Scrivener: a Story of Wall Street
- But while the hat was a thing of indifference to me, inasmuch as his natural civility and deference, as a dependent Englishman, always led him to doff it the moment he entered the room, yet his coat was another matter.†
indifference = without interest
- "Do you not see the reason for yourself," he indifferently replied.
*indifferently = without interest (unconcerned or unsympathetic)
Definition:
without interest
in various senses, including:
- unconcerned -- as in "She is indifferent to what is served to eat."
- unsympathetic -- as in "She is indifferent to his needs."
- not of good quality (which may imply average or poor quality depending upon context) -- as in "an indifferent performance"
- impartial -- as in "We need a judge who is indifferent."