illegible

adjective

(ˌ)i(l)-ˈle-jə-bəl How to pronounce illegible (audio)
Definition of illegiblenext
as in unreadable
incapable of being read or deciphered illegible signatures on the petition will be disregarded

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of illegible And the document itself is marked up with corrections and disclaimers that facts are incorrect or that context is missing to the point of being almost illegible. — Douglas Schoen, Oc Register, 28 May 2026 Willimantic Police provided a handwritten log that was inconsistent and sometimes illegible. — Ginny Monk, ProPublica, 27 Apr. 2026 Potier decodes that practically illegible document and creates a 3-D realization that grows from a fantastically complex swirl of interlocking geometries. — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 23 Apr. 2026 Past albums like Lyfë and 2093 were best experienced as hourslong excursions into illegible rage-rap experiences that washed over the listener, with Yeat’s voice muttering his harmonies amid glitchy laptop bangers. — Mosi Reeves, Rolling Stone, 31 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for illegible
Recent Examples of Synonyms for illegible
  1. unreadable
  2. obscure
  3. indecipherable
  4. faint
  5. undecipherable
  6. unclear
Adjective
  • His PowerPoint slides were unreadable because of small text and the auditorium’s bright lights.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026
  • If documents are rendered unreadable, then they can be disposed of in a publicly accessible dumpster, the law states.
    — Shannon Tyler, Idaho Statesman, 9 July 2026
Definition of unreadable
Adjective
  • Maybe folks were turning to Spotify to confirm that the Swag II was, in fact, part of Bieber’s discography and not some obscure Christian rock track.
    — Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 20 July 2026
  • Their books are weird and beautifully eccentric, and often highlight obscure and experimental writers from the 18th and 19th century.
    — Diana Arterian, Literary Hub, 16 July 2026
Definition of obscure
Adjective
  • That shape, whose contour resembles both an indecipherable ideogram and a flat asymmetrical spaceship, shows Parsons’s inventive side.
    — John Yau, ARTnews.com, 24 July 2026
  • One of the most exciting uses of AI has to be helping historians and archaeologists decipher previously indecipherable or untranslatable ancient texts.
    — Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 23 June 2026
Definition of indecipherable
Adjective
  • By adding together the images taken on a single spot, fainter objects become visible.
    — Phil Plait, Scientific American, 24 July 2026
  • The beautiful double star Albireo — one bright yellow and the other a fainter blue — sits at the beak of Cygnus, the Swan.
    — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 24 July 2026
Definition of faint
Adjective
  • Georgia relies on machines that count ballots by reading QR codes that are undecipherable to humans.
    — Caleb Groves, AJC.com, 29 Apr. 2026
  • The spirit and the symbolism were, at times, undecipherable.
    — The Know, Denver Post, 8 Feb. 2026
Definition of undecipherable
Adjective
  • Two sources familiar with the matter told CNN over the weekend the uranium enrichment provision includes stipulations imposed by the US, but details of potential limitations are unclear.
    — Arpita Dasika, CNN Money, 22 July 2026
  • Whether Villa only wanted to loan Garnacho anyway is unclear, but there’s an obvious motive for not signing him permanently.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 22 July 2026
Definition of unclear

Browse Nearby Words

illegally
illegible
illegitimacy
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Illegible.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/illegible. Accessed 27 Jul. 2026.

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