Indent The distance between the beginning or end of a line and the left or right page margin. Indents usually make text narrower than the space between margins. Three indents are associated with each paragraph: left, right, and first line. The first line of each paragraph can be indented by giving it a positive indent measurement, or a hanging indent can be created by giving the first line a negative indent measurement. Use the Format Paragraph command to specify indentation. See also: Hanging indent.