incoherent

adjective

in·​co·​her·​ent ˌin-kō-ˈhir-ənt How to pronounce incoherent (audio)
-ˈher-
: lacking coherence: such as
a
: lacking normal clarity or intelligibility in speech or thought
incoherent with grief
b
: lacking orderly continuity, arrangement, or relevance : inconsistent
an incoherent essay
c
: lacking cohesion : loose
incoherently adverb

Did you know?

Something that is coherent holds or sticks together firmly, with resistance to separation (that is, it coheres). Coherent, ultimately from the Latin co- ("together") and haerēre ("to stick or cling"), entered English in the 16th century and almost from the beginning was used both of physical things ("coherent stone") and of things which hold together in a much less palpable way ("coherent thoughts"). Its antonym, incoherent, entered the language some decades later. Like coherent, incoherent can be applied to both the tangible and the intangible. But, whether we are speaking of sand or logic, all things incoherent have one thing in common: they do not hold together, literally or figuratively, in a unified or intelligible whole.

Examples of incoherent in a Sentence

The fever made her incoherent. He was very upset and practically incoherent after the accident. The memo is completely incoherent.
Recent Examples on the Web Trump’s appearance in Georgia, by contrast, reflected a man not rooted in any kind of reality, one who struggled to remember his words and who was, by any definition, incoherent, disconnected, and frequently malicious. Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2024 One of her early memories is being awakened by her mama screaming at her drunken and incoherent daddy. Stephen Rodrick, Variety, 24 Oct. 2023 The studio didn’t like Schrader’s rather somber effort, and after several rounds of postproduction bickering, Renny Harlin was brought in to essentially shoot a whole new film, the frantic and incoherent Exorcist: The Beginning (2004). Vulture, 6 Oct. 2023 Many of them described visions that drew from their lives and seemed to hold meaning, unlike hallucinations resulting from medication, or delusional, incoherent thinking, which can also occur at the end of life. Phoebe Zerwick, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2024 Abusive, profane, self-promotional, misleading, incoherent or off-topic comments will be rejected. Quanta Magazine, 31 Jan. 2024 All of the jobs lost, all of the incoherent flotsam choking our internet, all of the Amazon drop shippers using ChatGPT to write product descriptions, these are but the market expressing its will. Robert Evans, Rolling Stone, 27 Jan. 2024 When journalists and editors are in lockstep with the demands and passions of a lone political entity, what will naturally follow are indefensible, incoherent, and contradictory editorial decisions. Becket Adams, National Review, 24 Dec. 2023 But rather than accept victory, many anti-smoking crusaders now embrace incoherent and seemingly contradictory positions regarding tobacco-harm reduction. Jeffrey A. Singer, National Review, 1 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'incoherent.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1599, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of incoherent was in 1599

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Dictionary Entries Near incoherent

Cite this Entry

“Incoherent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incoherent. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

incoherent

adjective
in·​co·​her·​ent ˌin-kō-ˈhir-ənt How to pronounce incoherent (audio)
-ˈher-
1
: not sticking closely or compactly together : loose
2
: not clearly or logically connected
told an incoherent story
3
: not clear or understandable in speech or thought
incoherent with grief
incoherently adverb

Medical Definition

incoherent

adjective
in·​co·​her·​ent -ənt How to pronounce incoherent (audio)
: lacking clarity or intelligibility usually by reason of some emotional stress
incoherent speech
incoherently adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on incoherent

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