as in inability
the lack of sufficient ability, power, or means
the nurse's ineptitude made it clear that she would be happier in a different line of work
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 ineptitude
Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who unsuccessfully ran against Newsom for governor in 2018, pointed to state spending on homelessness as an example of ineptitude.
—
Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2026
That spot played off Trainor’s name and comically showed her ineptitude in trying to treat Mahomes.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 8 Jan. 2026
But that should have been at Dicker’s feet, not the officials’ ineptitude.
—Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Jan. 2026
Microfinance was hailed as a panacea, a low-cost solution to ineptitude, corruption, and limited state capacity that could both help the poor and benefit socially conscious investors.
—Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ineptitude
Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2026
That spot played off Trainor’s name and comically showed her ineptitude in trying to treat Mahomes.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 8 Jan. 2026
But that should have been at Dicker’s feet, not the officials’ ineptitude.
—Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Jan. 2026
Microfinance was hailed as a panacea, a low-cost solution to ineptitude, corruption, and limited state capacity that could both help the poor and benefit socially conscious investors.
—Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ineptitude
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ineptitude
inability
Noun
-
The real Democratic failure lies not in having multiple candidates but in the party’s decades-long inability to develop Latino leaders as household names and frontrunners.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Mar. 2026
-
At its core, narcissism is defined by a lack of empathy—not just occasional selfishness, but a consistent inability or unwillingness to step into someone else’s world.—
Jenna Ryu,
SELF,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ineptitude.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ineptitude. Accessed 8 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
