inchoate

American  

[in-koh-it, -eyt, in-koh-eyt] / ɪnˈkoʊ ɪt, -eɪt, ˈɪn koʊˌeɪt /

adjective

1. not yet completed or fully developed; rudimentary.

2. just begun; incipient.

3. not organized; lacking order.

   an inchoate mass of ideas on the subject.

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inchoate British  

/ ɪnˈkəʊətɪv /

adjective

1. just beginning; incipient

2. undeveloped; immature; rudimentary

3. (of a legal document, promissory note, etc) in an uncompleted state; not yet made specific or valid

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verb

1. to begin

Other Word Forms

• inchoately adverb
• inchoateness noun
• inchoation noun
• inchoative adjective

Etymology

Origin of inchoate

1525–35; < Latin inchoātus, variant of incohātus, past participle of incohāre “to begin, start work on,” perhaps equivalent to in- in- ² ( def. ) + coh(um) “hollow of a yoke into which the pole is fitted” + -ātus -ate ¹

Example Sentences

Davis, to her credit, doesn’t sugarcoat just how difficult it can be, especially for those new to its often inchoate norms.

From Los Angeles Times

But in his defense, his attorney argued that Gaffield was “peripheral” to the terror plot case and that his actions were “non-violent and inchoate,” according to court records.

From Los Angeles Times

All of which feels fair, especially since Rogan is the target of Johnson’s inchoate ire.

From Salon

But the definition is so inchoate that decisions about whether something rates as fair use are typically done by judges on a case-by-case basis.

From Los Angeles Times

Calling it blood money, he uses it only to fund his inchoate plan to crush the Squid Game.

From Los Angeles Times