inconsistent
adjective
in·con·sis·tent
ˌin-kən-ˈsi-stənt 
: lacking consistency: such as
a
: not compatible with another fact or claim
inconsistent statements
b
: containing incompatible elements
an inconsistent argument
The decision was inconsistent with company policy.
c
: incoherent or illogical in thought or actions : not always acting or happening the same way
His pitching has been inconsistent this season.
The pain is inconsistent.
d
: not satisfiable by the same set of values for the unknowns
inconsistent equations
inconsistent inequalities
inconsistently
adverb
Examples of inconsistent in a Sentence
Customers have been complaining about the inconsistent service they have received.
The pain has been inconsistent.
Her grades have been inconsistent this school year.
Their descriptions of the accident were inconsistent.
The results of the two experiments were inconsistent.
The decision was inconsistent with the company's policy.
Recent Examples on the Web
Investigators estimate Saul Mache Mixe Store trafficked more than $121,000 in SNAP benefits within just a few months, again through transactions that appeared inconsistent with the store’s limited food offerings.
—
Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 18 Dec. 2025
Carolina is wildly inconsistent; Tampa Bay is the better team and has dominated this series lately but hasn’t been good the past month-plus.
—Greg Cote
december 18, Miami Herald, 18 Dec. 2025
Like Fishburne, whether by choice or by necessity, her roles were inconsistent, (even by acting standards) from leads in experimental arthouse movies to smaller parts in mainstream populist fare.
—Diedre Johnson, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Dec. 2025
In individual experiments, results were inconsistent, but when the researchers combined the three datasets, a clear pattern emerged.
—New Atlas, 18 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inconsistent
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Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 18 Dec. 2025
Carolina is wildly inconsistent; Tampa Bay is the better team and has dominated this series lately but hasn’t been good the past month-plus.
—Greg Cote
december 18, Miami Herald, 18 Dec. 2025
Like Fishburne, whether by choice or by necessity, her roles were inconsistent, (even by acting standards) from leads in experimental arthouse movies to smaller parts in mainstream populist fare.
—Diedre Johnson, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Dec. 2025
In individual experiments, results were inconsistent, but when the researchers combined the three datasets, a clear pattern emerged.
—New Atlas, 18 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inconsistent
Cite this Entry
“Inconsistent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inconsistent. Accessed 20 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
inconsistent
adjective
in·con·sis·tent
ˌin-kən-ˈsis-tənt
1
: not being in agreement or harmony : incompatible
an explanation inconsistent with the facts
2
: not logical or regular in thought or actions : changeable
a very inconsistent person
inconsistently
adverb
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