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Incoherent: meaning, definitions and examples

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incoherent

 

[ˌɪn.koʊˈhɪr.ənt ]

Definitions

Context #1 | Adjective

speech

Lacking cohesion or connection; unintelligible.

Synonyms

confused, disjointed, muddled, rambling.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

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Word Description / Examples
incoherent

Use 'incoherent' when someone's speech or writing lacks clarity and logical connection, often making it difficult to understand.

  • Her explanation was so incoherent that nobody could follow what she was trying to say.
  • After the accident, he was in shock and his words were completely incoherent.
confused

Use 'confused' when someone is unable to think clearly, understand something properly, or is mixing up different things.

  • He seemed confused after reading the complicated instructions.
  • The student was confused by the teacher's unclear directions.
disjointed

Use 'disjointed' when talking about something, like speech or writing, that is not in a logical order and is hard to follow.

  • His presentation was disjointed, jumping from one topic to another without clear transitions.
  • The plot of the movie was so disjointed that it was difficult to understand the main storyline.
rambling

Use 'rambling' when someone is talking or writing in a long, confusing way without a clear direction or purpose.

  • His rambling story seemed to go on forever without making any real point.
  • She wrote a rambling letter that covered many unrelated topics.
muddled

Use 'muddled' when someone's thoughts or ideas are confusing and mixed up, often leading to lack of clarity.

  • Her thinking was muddled after staying up all night studying.
  • The report was a muddled collection of facts and opinions.

Examples of usage

  • The patient's speech was incoherent and difficult to understand.
  • His answers were so incoherent that it was impossible to follow his line of thought.
Context #2 | Adjective

writing

Not logically connected; disjointed.

Synonyms

disorganized, illogical, inconsistent, jumbled.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

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Word Description / Examples
incoherent

Used to describe speech or writing that is unclear and difficult to understand.

  • His argument was so incoherent that nobody could follow his point.
  • She was so tired her speech became incoherent.
inconsistent

Indicates something that does not stay the same throughout, often related to behavior, results, or quality.

  • Her results were inconsistent, improving one week and dropping the next.
  • The team's performance has been inconsistent all season.
illogical

Describes reasoning or arguments that don't follow logical principles or are not rational.

  • His decision to skip work and then complain about not being promoted was illogical.
  • It's illogical to think that everyone should think the same way as you do.
jumbled

Used to describe something that is mixed up in a confusing way, often referring to words, ideas, or objects.

  • The letters on the board were jumbled, making it hard to form words.
  • His thoughts were so jumbled he couldn't make a coherent sentence.
disorganized

Refers to something that lacks order or structure, often related to physical spaces or planning.

  • His desk is always disorganized, with papers everywhere.
  • The event was disorganized and many attendees were confused.

Examples of usage

  • The essay received a low grade due to its incoherent structure.
  • Her thoughts were so incoherent that the reader struggled to follow the storyline.

Interesting Facts

Etymology

  • The word comes from the Latin 'incohaerentem' meaning 'not sticking together', which captures its essence of disconnection.
  • The prefix 'in-' means 'not', while 'coherent' comes from 'cohaerere', meaning 'to stick together' in Latin, highlighting the opposite meaning.

Psychology

  • Incoherence can be a symptom of certain mental health conditions where a person may struggle to express their thoughts clearly.
  • Cognitive dissonance, which occurs when a person's beliefs conflict with their actions, can lead to incoherent thoughts as they try to rationalize their feelings.

Communication

  • Effective communication relies on coherence; when people speak in incoherent ways, it can lead to misunderstandings.
  • In writing, incoherent sentences can confuse readers, making it important to organize thoughts before sharing them.

Arts and Literature

  • In literature, authors may use incoherent narratives to convey chaos or confusion, reflecting characters' mental states.
  • Surrealist art often embraces incoherence, presenting images that challenge logical interpretation and provoke emotional responses.

Technology

  • In computer science, incoherence can refer to data that is unorganized, making it difficult for algorithms to process or understand.
  • Natural language processing tools often aim to transform incoherent speech into coherent text to improve communication between humans and machines.

Translations

Translations of the word "incoherent" in other languages:

🇵🇹 incoerente

🇮🇳 असंगत

🇩🇪 inkohärent

🇮🇩 tidak koheren

🇺🇦 некогерентний

🇵🇱 niespójny

🇯🇵 一貫性のない

🇫🇷 incohérent

🇪🇸 incoherente

🇹🇷 tutarsız

🇰🇷 비일관성의

🇸🇦 غير متماسك

🇨🇿 nesouvislý

🇸🇰 nekoherentný

🇨🇳 不连贯的

🇸🇮 neskladen

🇮🇸 ósamræmdur

🇰🇿 үйлеспейтін

🇬🇪 უსისტემო

🇦🇿 uyğunsuz

🇲🇽 incoherente

Word Frequency Rank

With rank #15,069, this word belongs to specialized vocabulary. While not common in everyday speech, it enriches your ability to express complex ideas.