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 words Thursday may have been incoherent, but his point was crystal clear. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2024 But the party abruptly jerked its head out of that sand Thursday night, after a meandering, occasionally incoherent and almost universally panned first-debate performance from Biden. Aaron Blake, Washington Post, 28 June 2024 As the house band at the Acid Tests, Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters’ LSD happenings, in the mid-sixties, the Dead would play coherent songs or incoherent noise, or nothing at all, while the light shows and other sonic and psychedelic craziness prevailed. Nick Paumgarten, The New Yorker, 22 July 2024 During the debate, Biden gave a series of incoherent and confusing responses and appeared to trail off at times without finishing his sentences. David Faris, Newsweek, 10 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for incoherent 

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 20 Sep. 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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