incommensurable

[ in-kuh-men-ser-uh-buhl, -sher- ]
See synonyms for incommensurable on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. not commensurable; having no common basis, measure, or standard of comparison.

  2. utterly disproportionate.

  1. Mathematics. (of two or more quantities) having no common measure.

noun
  1. something that is incommensurable.

  2. Mathematics. one of two or more incommensurable quantities.

Origin of incommensurable

1
From the Late Latin word incommēnsūrābilis, dating back to 1550–60. See in-3, commensurable

Other words from incommensurable

  • in·com·men·su·ra·bil·i·ty, in·com·men·su·ra·ble·ness, noun
  • in·com·men·su·ra·bly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use incommensurable in a sentence

  • This is the fifth example of irrationality and incommensurability.

    The Way To Geometry | Peter Ramus
  • This is the fourth example of irrationality, or incommensurability.

    The Way To Geometry | Peter Ramus

British Dictionary definitions for incommensurable

incommensurable

/ (ˌɪnkəˈmɛnʃərəbəl) /


adjective
  1. incapable of being judged, measured, or considered comparatively

  2. (postpositive foll by with) not in accordance; incommensurate

  1. maths

    • (of two numbers) having an irrational ratio

    • not having units of the same dimension

    • unrelated to another measurement by integral multiples

noun
  1. something incommensurable

Derived forms of incommensurable

  • incommensurability or incommensurableness, noun
  • incommensurably, adverb

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