incoherent

[ in-koh-heer-uhnt, -her- ]

adjective

1. without logical or meaningful connection; disjointed; rambling:

   an incoherent sentence.

   Synonyms: muddled, irrational, confused

2. characterized by such thought or language, as a person:

   incoherent with rage.

3. not coherent or cohering:

   an incoherent mixture.

4. lacking physical cohesion; loose:

   incoherent dust.

5. lacking unity or harmony of elements:

   an incoherent public.

6. lacking congruity of parts; uncoordinated.
7. different or incompatible by nature, as things.
8. Physics. (of a wave) having a low degree of coherence. Compare coherent ( def 4 ).

incoherent

/ ˌɪnkəʊˈhɪərənt /

adjective

1. lacking in clarity or organization; disordered
2. unable to express oneself clearly; inarticulate
3. physics (of two or more waves) having the same frequency but not the same phase

   incoherent light

Derived Forms

• ˌincoˈherence, noun
• ˌincoˈherently, adverb

Other Words From

• inco·herent·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of incoherent¹

First recorded in 1620–30; in- ³ + coherent

Example Sentences

While former President Barack Obama was happy to poke fun at Trump's ramblings as incoherent "word salad" in recent stump speeches, Scarborough saw nothing funny in what Trump tells crowds.

From Salon

But it has divided critics, with several describing it as "incoherent" and others awarding it five stars.

From BBC

There’s no shortage of accessible documentation showing the 78-year-old’s slide from strategically unpredictable to perilously incoherent.

From Los Angeles Times

It was the usual rambling, incoherent, ignorant nightmare:

From Salon

Trump has clearly deteriorated and, as the Times pointed out, turned not just more incoherent but much darker.

From Salon

Related Words

• disjointed
• incomprehensible
• incongruous
• irrational
• jumbled
• muddled
• puzzling
• rambling
• uneven