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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ineptitude
What started with fun poked at ineptitude of the Taliban and Afghan government takes a really dark turn.
—
Damon Wise, Deadline, 13 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
Damon Wise, Deadline, 13 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
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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
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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 10 Mar. 2026.
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