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Synonyms

incoherent

American  
[in-koh-heer-uhnt, -her-] / ˌɪn koʊˈhɪər ənt, -ˈhɛr- /

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.


incoherent British  
/ 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

"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

  • incoherence noun
  • incoherently adverb

Etymology

Origin of incoherent

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

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.

As she answered his questions, the “small, magnetic … negligently dressed” former celebrity paced the room, buried her face in her hands, and played “fitful floods of wild and incoherent melody” on a piano.

From Literature

Even by that low bar, Mr. Carney’s speech was muddled and incoherent.

From The Wall Street Journal

Even light that has become partially incoherent can still perform useful work, just less effectively than fully coherent light.

From Science Daily

Thanks to a Dolby Creator Lab Grant, Stern was able to work with Wild to shape a purposefully incoherent soundscape, using Dolby Atmos to fling sounds all around.

From Los Angeles Times

By Thursday, September 18, 2008, however, the big picture had grown so unstable that the small picture had become nearly incoherent to him.

From Literature