incoherence

American  

[in-koh-heer-uhns, -her-] / ˌɪn koʊˈhɪər əns, -ˈhɛr- /

noun

1. the quality or state of being incoherent.

2. something incoherent; an incoherent statement, article, speech, etc.

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Etymology

Origin of incoherence

First recorded in 1605–15; in- ³ + coherence

Explanation

Incoherence is a quality of being unclear, disjointed, or nonsensical. The incoherence of the scavenger hunt's instructions resulted in everyone running in different directions looking hopelessly confused. A political candidate's incoherence usually hurts their chances of winning an election, since no one really understands what they stand for. And if your English teacher comments on the incoherence of your latest essay, you might want to get some extra writing help. When ideas, words, or thoughts don't hold together quite right, that's incoherence. The Latin root is cohaerere, "stick together."

Example Sentences

Justice Amy Coney Barrett asked Sauer a mix of practical and theoretical questions that revealed the incoherence of his position.

From Slate • Apr. 1, 2026

It revealed the incoherence of Compass’s entire theory.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 13, 2026

Beyond the incoherence of destroying an item that was already paid for, demonstrations like these had little impact on the brands themselves.

From Salon • Oct. 3, 2025

He admitted to a "certain amount of incoherence in our thinking," but added: "Once we decided to act, I think it was pretty fast from flash to bang."

From BBC • Dec. 6, 2023

My grandfather, accustomed to the multifarious conjugations of ancient Greek verbs, had found English, for all its incoherence, a relatively simple tongue to master.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides