ineptitude
Americannoun
-
quality or condition of being inept.
-
an inept act or remark.
Etymology
Origin of ineptitude
First recorded in 1605–15; from Latin ineptitūdō; see origin at inept, -i-, -tude
Explanation
Ineptitude is a lack of skill, ability, or competence. A doctor would prove his ineptitude at practicing medicine if he mistakenly removed a patient's spleen instead of his kidney. Ineptitude and incompetence are synonyms to describe people who have absolutely no idea what they're doing. It's definitely not a quality you'd want in a pilot, who might prove his ineptitude by sending a plane full of passengers hurtling to the ground. Ineptitude also isn't a good quality to have in fields like medicine, where even one careless mistake could be life-threatening.
Vocabulary lists containing ineptitude
A Thousand Splendid Suns
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Ender's Game
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Dragonwings
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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.
Ineptitude abounds, both in concept and in practice, as “Intelligence” aims for an “Office”-like atmosphere of bumbling awkwardness and bad manners.
From Washington Post • Jul. 14, 2020
From a TV spectator’s point of view, the ideal Olympic Ineptitude Quotient is halfway between Eric the Eel futility and Dream Team domination.
From Slate • Jul. 24, 2012
Ineptitude in military leadership and corruption among army commanders has contributed largely to the lowered morale of the Chinese government troops.
From Time Magazine Archive
Ineptitude, Woody goes on, is a family curse.
From Time Magazine Archive
Ineptitude with Miss Jane was an almost unpardonable offence.
From A Practical Novelist by Davidson, John
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
