incoherent

adjective

in·​co·​her·​ent ˌin-kō-ˈhir-ənt 

-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.

Synonyms

• choppy
• disconnected
• disjointed
• unconnected

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

The outfits are wildly incoherent, and the choreography is boring. —Barry Levitt, Vulture, 12 May 2025

As recently as January, the Liberals trailed the Conservatives by almost twenty points in the polls, owing to a wave of severe, if sometimes incoherent, dissatisfaction with Trudeau. —Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 1 May 2025

In an interview with the Financial Times published Monday, Langone decried Trump’s tariffs as too large, imposed too hastily, and based on an incoherent mathematical formula. —Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2025

This new version of La Bohème is three times more complicated than the original and sometimes incoherent. —Jeffrey Seller, Vulture, 11 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1599, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for incoherent

• adherent
• coherent
• inherent

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Kids Definition

incoherent

adjective

in·​co·​her·​ent ˌin-kō-ˈhir-ənt 

-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 

: lacking clarity or intelligibility usually by reason of some emotional stress

incoherent speech

incoherently adverb