inconsistency

noun

in·​con·​sis·​ten·​cy ˌin-kən-ˈsi-stən(t)-sē 

1

: an instance of being inconsistent

… treats every human inconsistency as a hypocrisy …

—G. K. Chesterton

2

: the quality or state of being inconsistent

inconsistency in the restaurant's service

noticed inconsistency in the two statements

Examples of inconsistency in a Sentence

Police noticed inconsistency in his two statements.

Customers have been complaining about the inconsistency in the quality of service they have received.

The team's biggest problem has been inconsistency: it has played well at times, but at other times it has played very poorly.

There is some inconsistency in her argument.

Careful editing of the entire text has eliminated inconsistencies of style.

We noted a major inconsistency in his story.

Recent Examples on the Web

When confronted by lawmakers and journalists, Adorni has struggled to explain the inconsistency between his lavish spending and modest salary. — Clara Preve, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2026

Astronomers are puzzled that such a glaring inconsistency could have gone unnoticed in existing data, such as the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), which provides our earliest snapshot of the universe. — Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 25 June 2026

Datasets with issues like poor formatting, inaccuracies, inconsistencies, biases and duplicates are inherently bad. — Imran Aftab, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026

But the Orioles have been plagued by inconsistency all season. — Jacob Calvin Meyer, Baltimore Sun, 24 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1647, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for inconsistency

• consistency
• persistency

Kids Definition

inconsistency

noun

in·​con·​sis·​ten·​cy ˌin-kən-ˈsis-tən-sē 

plural inconsistencies

1

: the quality or state of being inconsistent

2

: an example of being inconsistent