inconvenience

1 of 2

noun

in·​con·​ve·​nience ˌin-kən-ˈvē-nyən(t)s How to pronounce inconvenience (audio)
1
: something that is inconvenient
2
: the quality or state of being inconvenient

inconvenience

2 of 2

verb

in·​con·​ve·​nience ˌin-kən-ˈvē-nyən(t)s How to pronounce inconvenience (audio)
inconvenienced; inconveniencing

transitive verb

: to cause problems or trouble for : subject to inconvenience
sorry to inconvenience you

Examples of inconvenience in a Sentence

Noun Needham was sorry to see him go, for although his high-handedness … had caused some inconvenience, his intelligence and courage were of the first water. Simon Winchester, The Man Who Loved China, 2008
Any wish or even longing I might have to see her produced no results; sometimes when she showed up it was actually inconvenient, but frustrated longing and inconvenience both ended the same way … Jane Smiley, Good Faith, 2003
Jem knew as well as I that it was difficult to walk fast without stumping a toe, tripping on stones, and other inconveniences, and I was barefooted. Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird, 1960
I hope this delay doesn't cause you any inconvenience. Bridge repairs cannot be done without some inconvenience to the public. Parking in the city can be a major inconvenience. The delay was an inconvenience. Verb … I could count on one of my aunts to insist that she take me to some far-off corner of Nairobi to find the best bargains, no matter how long the trip took or how much it might inconvenience her. Barack Obama, Dreams from My Father, (1995) 2004
Medieval manuscripts are turgid with abbreviations, which favor the copyist although they inconvenience the reader. Walter J. Ong, Orality and Literacy, (1982) 2002
The work was inconvenienced by the time of year, there being only about three hours of natural light per day, but the pyroclastic spectacle made the darkness photogenic. John McPhee, New Yorker, 22 Feb. 1988
I wouldn't want to inconvenience you. We were inconvenienced by the bad weather.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
While that's a sign of growing inconvenience for drivers, the silver lining is that a software patch is usually a much quicker fix than something requiring hardware replacement. Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, 24 Sep. 2024 If New Jersey’s experience is any indication, Californians can look forward to a costly new inconvenience. Noah Rothman, National Review, 23 Sep. 2024
Verb
While a handful of judges, notably all women, identify with the plaintiffs and eventually rule in their favor, the lawmakers, often men, appear inconvenienced by their narratives. Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Aug. 2024 Some may argue this change inconveniences shoppers, but the long-term environmental benefits far outweigh any short-term adjustments. Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 29 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for inconvenience 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'inconvenience.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English, misfortune, inconsistency, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin inconvenientia, from Latin inconvenient-, inconveniens

First Known Use

Noun

1534, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1656, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of inconvenience was in 1534

Dictionary Entries Near inconvenience

Cite this Entry

“Inconvenience.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inconvenience. Accessed 6 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

inconvenience

1 of 2 noun
in·​con·​ve·​nience ˌin-kən-ˈvē-nyən(t)s How to pronounce inconvenience (audio)
1
: something that is inconvenient
2
: the quality or state of being inconvenient

inconvenience

2 of 2 verb
inconvenienced; inconveniencing
: to cause discomfort to : put to trouble
inconvenienced by the bad weather

More from Merriam-Webster on inconvenience

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