incommensurable

[ in-kuh-men-ser-uh-buhl, -sher- ]

adjective

1. not commensurable; having no common basis, measure, or standard of comparison.
2. utterly disproportionate.
3. 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.

incommensurable

/ ˌɪnkəˈmɛnʃərəbəl /

adjective

1. incapable of being judged, measured, or considered comparatively
2. postpositivefoll bywith not in accordance; incommensurate
3. maths
   1. (of two numbers) having an irrational ratio
   2. not having units of the same dimension
   3. unrelated to another measurement by integral multiples

noun

1. something incommensurable

Derived Forms

• ˌincomˌmensuraˈbility, noun
• ˌincomˈmensurably, adverb

Other Words From

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of incommensurable¹

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

Example Sentences

Premeditations, Powers, fore-ordained Destinies, elaborate there together an incommensurable work.

From Project Gutenberg

Without undertaking to measure and compare what is incommensurable, I hold that Goethe's genius is essentially lyrical.

From Project Gutenberg

Lastly, the Pythagoreans discovered the existence of incommensurable lines, or of irrationals.

From Project Gutenberg

But any such double standard, in which the two measures are absolutely incommensurable, leads straight to chaos.

From Project Gutenberg

And he comes, not merely in time, pretty close to Defoe, incommensurable as is the genius of the two.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• disparate
• dissimilar
• distinct
• divergent
• unalike
• unlike
• unsimilar