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Without contents; empty; void of sense or intelligence; purposeless; pointless; characterless; useless. "Vague and inane instincts." I. Taylor. -- In*ane"ly, adv.

Want of application, attention, or diligence; negligence; indolence.

Not attentive; not fixing the mind on an object; heedless; careless; negligent; regardless; as, an inattentive spectator or hearer; an inattentive habit. I. Watts.

Not curious or inquisitive; without care for or interest in; inattentive; careless; negligent; heedless. Carelessnesses and incurious deportments toward their children. Jer. Taylor.

spent in indolence, and therefore sad. Cowper. As there is a great truth wrapped up in "diligence," what a lie, on the other hand, lurks at the root of our present use of the word "indolence"! This is from "in" and "doleo," not to grieve; and indolence is thus a state in which we have no grief or pain; so that the word…

nfluence; to prevail on; to incite; to move by persuasion or influence. Shak. He is not obliged by your offer to do it, . . . though he may be induced, persuaded, prevailed upon, tempted. Paley. Let not the covetous desire of growing rich induce you to ruin your reputation. Dryden.

Given to industry; characterized by diligence; constantly, regularly, or habitually occupied; busy; assiduous; not slothful or idle; -- commonly implying devotion to lawful and useful labor. Frugal and industrious men are commonly friendly to the established government. Sir W. Temple.

Habitual diligence in any employment or pursuit, either bodily or mental; steady attention to business; assiduity; -- opposed to sloth and idleness; as, industry pays debts, while idleness or despair will increase them. We are more industrious than our forefathers, because in the present times the funds destined for th…

Silly; useless; nonsensical; absurd; foolish. To view attention as a special act of intelligence, and to distinguish it from consciousness, is utterly inept. Sir W. Hamilton.

Without expression or meaning; not expressive; dull; unintelligent; as, an inexpressive countenance.

To give intelligence or information; to tell. Shak. He might either teach in the same manner,or inform how he had been taught. Monthly Rev. To inform against, to communicate facts by way of accusation against; to denounce; as, two persons came to the magistrate, and informed against A.

The act of informing, or communicating knowledge or intelligence. The active informations of the intellect. South.

Not contraband; not subject to forfeiture; as, innocent goods carried to a belligerent nation. Innocent party (Law),a party who has not notice of a fact tainting a litigated transaction with illegality.

uthoriy; not according to the forms or ceremony of official business; as, inofficial intelligence. Pinckney and Marshall would not make inofficial visits to discuss official business. Pickering.

Having knowledge or insight; intelligent. [R.] Gaze on, with inscient vision, toward the sun. Mrs. Browning.

Want of intelligence; stupidity; folly. [R.] Blount.

ds. Whately. An instinct is an agent which performs blindly and ignorantly a work of intelligence and knowledge. Sir W. Hamilton. By a divine instinct, men's minds mistrust Ensuing dangers. Shak.

That which instructs, or with which one is instructed; the intelligence or information imparted; as: (a) Precept; information; teachings. (b) Direction; order; command. "If my instructions may be your guide." Shak.

Having power to understand, know, or comprehend; intelligent; rational. Glanvill.

ding; having capacity for the higher forms of knowledge or thought; characterized by intelligence or mental capacity; as, an intellectual person. Who would lose, Though full of pain, this intellectual being, Those thoughts that wander through eternity Milton.