incompatible

[ in-kuhm-pat-uh-buhl ]

adjective

1. not compatible; unable to exist together in harmony:

   She asked for a divorce because they were utterly incompatible.

   Synonyms: unsuited, inharmonious, unsuitable

2. contrary or opposed in character; discordant:

   incompatible colors.

   Synonyms: contradictory, inharmonious

3. that cannot coexist or be conjoined.
4. Logic.
   1. (of two or more propositions) unable to be true simultaneously.
   2. (of two or more attributes of an object) unable to belong to the object simultaneously; inconsistent.
5. (of positions, functions, ranks, etc.) unable to be held simultaneously by one person.
6. Medicine/Medical. of or relating to biological substances that interfere with one another physiologically, as different types of blood in a transfusion.
7. Pharmacology. of or relating to drugs that interfere with one another chemically or physiologically and therefore cannot be mixed or prescribed together.

noun

1. Usually incompatibles. incompatible persons or things.
2. an incompatible drug or the like.
3. incompatibles, Logic.
   1. two or more propositions that cannot be true simultaneously.
   2. two or more attributes that cannot simultaneously belong to the same object.

incompatible

/ ˌɪnkəmˈpætəbəl /

adjective

1. incapable of living or existing together in peace or harmony; conflicting or antagonistic
2. opposed in nature or quality; inconsistent
3. (of an office, position, etc) only able to be held by one person at a time
4. med (esp of two drugs or two types of blood) incapable of being combined or used together; antagonistic
5. logic (of two propositions) unable to be both true at the same time
6. of plants
   1. not capable of forming successful grafts
   2. incapable of fertilizing each other
7. maths another word for inconsistent

noun

1. often plural a person or thing that is incompatible with another

Derived Forms

• ˌincomˈpatibly, adverb
• ˌincomˌpatiˈbility, noun

Other Words From

• incom·pati·bili·ty incom·pati·ble·ness noun
• incom·pati·bly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of incompatible¹

From the Medieval Latin word incompatibilis, dating back to 1555–65. See in- ³, compatible

Synonym Study

See inconsistent.

Example Sentences

The court ruled this part of the act was incompatible with human rights' legislation and the Windsor Framework.

From BBC

But the panel found that the misconduct was “so serious that it was fundamentally incompatible” with remaining a teacher.

From BBC

Their real goal — the one they hide under all the bad faith complaints about "wokeness" and "cancel culture" — is a level of dominance over others that is incompatible with basic American values like human rights, democracy, and equality.

From Salon

For example, the movement simultaneously embraces two incompatible eschatologies, to use the theological term.

From Salon

In his opinion, waxing poetic about the beleaguered Spirit, Young wrote that the merger was incompatible with federal antitrust laws, which are aimed at protecting the American consumer from harmful corporate combinations—especially when they raise prices.

From Slate

Related Words

• conflicting
• inappropriate
• incongruous
• inconsistent
• irreconcilable
• unsuitable
• unsuited