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 But, outside of clothing items and a set of denture plates inscribed with a partially illegible set of numbers, there was too little evidence recovered from the scene to generate leads in the case. — Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 29 July 2026 On many, the names, birth years and death years are illegible. — Kamal Morgan. Produced With Ai Assistance, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 June 2026 Federal grievances may be thrown out for being trivial, illegible or not pertaining to an issue that can be addressed through the bureau's system. — Christie Thompson, NPR, 17 June 2026 This illegible language continues to distinguish his works on a global level. — Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 28 May 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
  • Putting his lean and sinewy physicality to disquieting use, McNairy makes Wilson both unreadable and coldly transparent, giving him equal parts menace and magnetism.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 17 Sep. 2026
  • The inspections also showed customers' records disposed of without first being shredded or made unreadable in violation of California privacy laws, the lawsuit alleged.
    — Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of unreadable
Adjective
  • But there isn’t even a word for what happened Friday when a once-obscure board canceled a meeting to decide the future of homeless services in Los Angeles because too many people came to vote.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Ivey and his partner persuaded the Crockfords dealer to rotate the high-value cards 180 degrees before shuffling them back into the pack, citing some obscure superstition as justification.
    — Kit Chellel, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of obscure
Adjective
  • Her life may have been her language, formal, developed, indecipherable.
    — Senior Television, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Unfortunately, the full document was nigh-indecipherable—LLMs tend to explain their proofs in unhelpful ways, spending inordinate time on minor details while glancing past important steps.
    — Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of indecipherable
Adjective
  • And according to Nanayakkara, this in turn raises the possibility that even older (and fainter) FRBs have passed by Earth unnoticed.
    — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Its exceptional transparency can reveal faint stars near the threshold of naked-eye visibility.
    — Joe Rao, Space.com, 8 Oct. 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
  • For Modi, the protests pose a challenge midway through his third term, though their political impact remains unclear.
    — Sheikh Saaliq, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Their capabilities and operational maturity, however, remain unclear.
    — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 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 16 Oct. 2026.

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