incompatibility

noun

in·​com·​pat·​i·​bil·​i·​ty ˌin-kəm-ˌpa-tə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

plural incompatibilities

1

a

: the quality or state of being incompatible

b

: lack of interfertility between two plants

2

incompatibilities plural : mutually antagonistic things or qualities

Examples of incompatibility in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

As such neither, as per Article 16 of the FIGC’s Sports Agents rules on incompatibility and conflict of interest, would have had to leave their roles in the event Pirlo senior secured the Italy job. — James Horncastle, New York Times, 28 July 2026

This can lead to birds choosing a new mate out of necessity more than incompatibility with the previous partner. — Andrew Coletti, Popular Science, 8 July 2026

At the same time, you could be tempted to idealize people or overlook incompatibilities. — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 30 June 2026

Rodents are used to study immune rejection, inflammatory pathways, coagulation incompatibilities, and graft survival. — Torie Bosch, STAT, 20 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for incompatibility

• communicability
• comprehensibility
• deliverability
• differentiability
• impenetrability
• impermeability
• impracticability
• inaccessibility
• inadmissibility
• inapplicability
• indestructibility
• indispensability

Kids Definition

incompatibility

noun

in·​com·​pat·​i·​bil·​i·​ty ˌin-kəm-ˌpat-ə-ˈbil-ət-ē 

plural incompatibilities

: the quality or state of being incompatible

Medical Definition

incompatibility

noun

in·​com·​pat·​i·​bil·​i·​ty ˌin-kəm-ˌpat-ə-ˈbil-ət-ē 

plural incompatibilities

: the quality or state of being incompatible

chemical incompatibility