unintelligible

adjective

un·​in·​tel·​li·​gi·​ble ˌən-in-ˈte-lə-jə-bəl How to pronounce unintelligible (audio)
: unable to be understood or comprehended : not intelligible
a song with unintelligible lyrics
unintelligible jargon
… including parenthetical translations of the words and phrases he knew would be unintelligible to contemporary readers.John N. Green
unintelligibility noun
or less commonly unintelligibleness
unintelligibly adverb
muttering unintelligibly

Examples of unintelligible in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The result could be a sort of unintelligible intelligence: models that are smart, or at least capable, in ways humans cannot readily comprehend. Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 16 Feb. 2024 The two exchange words in unintelligible gobbledygook, like Sims speaking their native language, Simlish. Emily Latimer, Longreads, 25 Jan. 2024 The very concept of humanity in its present form will have become unintelligible. Janna Levin, Quanta Magazine, 25 Jan. 2024 One officer calls out to the boy, his words unintelligible as another officer fires three rounds into the room. James Hartley, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Feb. 2024 But a nasal fistula—a hole between his nose and mouth—made his speech garbled and unintelligible. Dave Eshleman, The Mercury News, 7 Jan. 2024 Roman adoption practices add an extra layer of complication that makes some of the relationships almost unintelligible. Christopher Tayler, Harper's Magazine, 18 Dec. 2023 Documents that looked perfect on the screens of PARC’s personal computer, the Alto, turned into unintelligible gibberish when printed out. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 23 Aug. 2023 Across languages and throughout time, the term slang has evolved to mean a subversive lexicon, purposefully unintelligible to whoever’s in charge, perpetually shape-shifting against the mainstream. Caleb Madison, The Atlantic, 28 Oct. 2023

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

Word History

First Known Use

1664, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unintelligible was in 1664

Dictionary Entries Near unintelligible

Cite this Entry

“Unintelligible.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unintelligible. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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