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Synonyms

illegible

American  
[ih-lej-uh-buhl] / ɪˈlɛdʒ ə bəl /

adjective

  1. not legible; impossible or hard to read or decipher because of poor handwriting, faded print, etc..

    This letter is completely illegible.
illegible British  
/ ɪˈlɛdʒɪbəl /

adjective

  1. unable to be read or deciphered

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • illegibility noun
  • illegibleness noun
  • illegibly adverb

Etymology

Origin of illegible

First recorded in 1605–15; il- 2 + legible

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Both the paintings and the earthenware are scribbled with an illegible stream of consciousness poetry that Finley is channeling while making the work — often only visible in texture when the light hits right.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 6, 2025

Also, a machine-learning model of the script was created to restore the illegible and damaged texts, paving the way for further research.

From BBC • Jan. 16, 2025

For example, personal information on a ticket stub could be replaced with illegible letters, or a private building exchanged for a fake building or other landscape features.

From Science Daily • May 29, 2024

All other bullet points in the list of content limitations are photo-moderation rules addressing illegible or copyrights images.

From Salon • Mar. 26, 2024

I remember the catalogue from the first show, done on a mimeo machine, smeared and illegible, its poverty a badge of authenticity.

From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.