Advertisement

Advertisement

View synonyms for incoherent

incoherent

[ in-koh-heer-uhnt, -her- ]

adjective

  1. without logical or meaningful connection; disjointed; rambling:

    an incoherent sentence.

    Synonyms: muddled, irrational, confused

  2. characterized by such thought or language, as a person:

    incoherent with rage.

  3. not coherent or cohering:

    an incoherent mixture.

  4. lacking physical cohesion; loose:

    incoherent dust.

  5. lacking unity or harmony of elements:

    an incoherent public.

  6. lacking congruity of parts; uncoordinated.
  7. different or incompatible by nature, as things.
  8. Physics. (of a wave) having a low degree of coherence. Compare coherent ( def 4 ).


incoherent

/ ˌɪnkəʊˈhɪərənt /

adjective

  1. lacking in clarity or organization; disordered
  2. unable to express oneself clearly; inarticulate
  3. physics (of two or more waves) having the same frequency but not the same phase

    incoherent light



Discover More

Derived Forms

  • ˌincoˈherence, noun
  • ˌincoˈherently, adverb

Discover More

Other Words From

  • inco·herent·ly adverb

Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of incoherent1

First recorded in 1620–30; in- 3 + coherent

Discover More

Example Sentences

When I protested — with the righteous, incoherent anger that only a woman who is five centimeters dilated can muster — they told me that if I refused to consent to the test, they’d act as if it was positive.

Between the 1940s and the 1970s, when polarization was generally low, and both parties were incoherent ideologically at the national level, candidates converged modestly in the middle of their district.

Complementarity has been derided as an incoherent application of vague philosophy expressed in incomprehensible language.

Because budget reconciliation is dictating the legislative process, leading to half-measures and incoherent policies that do not work as originally intended in the real world.

From Vox

Martyrs requires you to not only accept scenes of horrific violence but also recognize them as a disjointed narrative of trauma survival that’s sometimes incoherent by necessity.

From Vox

The hallucination is visually incoherent, either a rough approximation of text or a random assemblage of letters.

There are no hipsters anymore—at least none that live up to the crazy, incoherent stereotypes in circulation.

Sabo is as incoherent and hateful as any run-of-the-mill troll.

Second, the view that corporations have consciences is incoherent.

It was from Jack, but so incoherent that I thought he must have lost his reason.

He found himself trying to frame the words, but they broke into incoherent prayers, still to the same grotesque tune.

Miss Temperley found Professor Theobald entertaining, but at times a little incoherent.

With some such incoherent words the doctor caught up a book of prayers from the table and ran out after his wife.

I can hardly say why I have written this incoherent note; except, that I am dispirited, and thirst to talk to you.

"Yes, what he will never get," was the harsh reply, and Farnham only laughed at her incoherent ravings.

Advertisement

Word of the Day

axolotl

[ak-suh-lot-l ]

Meaning and examples

Start each day with the Word of the Day in your inbox!

By clicking "Sign Up", you are accepting Dictionary.com Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policies.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


incoherencyin cold blood