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Inarticulate: meaning, definitions and examples

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inarticulate

 

[ ɪnɑːˈtɪkjʊlət ]

Adjective
Context #1 | Adjective

speech

Unable to express oneself clearly or fluently.

Synonyms

garbled, incoherent, incomprehensible

Examples of usage

  • His inarticulate mumbling made it difficult to understand him.
  • She became inarticulate with emotion when she received the award.
Context #2 | Adjective

music

Lacking clarity or definition in musical performance.

Synonyms

indistinct, mumbled, unclear

Examples of usage

  • The singer's inarticulate voice failed to convey the emotions of the song.
  • The orchestra's inarticulate playing disappointed the audience.

Translations

Translations of the word "inarticulate" in other languages:

🇵🇹 inarticulado

🇮🇳 अस्पष्ट

🇩🇪 unartikuliert

🇮🇩 tidak jelas

🇺🇦 нечіткий

🇵🇱 niewyraźny

🇯🇵 不明瞭

🇫🇷 inarticulé

🇪🇸 inarticulado

🇹🇷 anlaşılmaz

🇰🇷 불분명한

🇸🇦 غير واضح

🇨🇿 nezřetelný

🇸🇰 nezrozumiteľný

🇨🇳 不清楚

🇸🇮 nejasen

🇮🇸 óskýr

🇰🇿 түсініксіз

🇬🇪 გაურკვეველი

🇦🇿 anlaşılmaz

🇲🇽 inarticulado

Etymology

The word 'inarticulate' originated from the Latin word 'inarticulatus', which means 'not distinct'. It first appeared in the English language in the early 17th century. Over time, 'inarticulate' came to be used to describe both speech that is unclear or unintelligible, as well as performances that lack clarity or definition.

See also: articulateness, articulation, articulatory, disarticulation, inarticulateness.

Word Frequency Rank

Positioned at #21,618, this word is part of extensive vocabulary. It's relatively rare in general usage but may be important in specific fields or formal writing.