incompatible

[in-kuhm-pat-uh-buhl]

adjective

1. not compatible; unable to exist together in harmony.

   She asked for a divorce because they were utterly incompatible.

   Synonyms: inharmonious, unsuited, unsuitable

2. contrary or opposed in character; discordant.

   incompatible colors.

   Synonyms: contradictory, inharmonious

3. that cannot coexist or be conjoined.

4. Logic.

   1. (of two or more propositions) unable to be true simultaneously.

   2. (of two or more attributes of an object) unable to belong to the object simultaneously; inconsistent.

5. (of positions, functions, ranks, etc.) unable to be held simultaneously by one person.

6. Medicine/Medical.,  of or relating to biological substances that interfere with one another physiologically, as different types of blood in a transfusion.

7. Pharmacology.,  of or relating to drugs that interfere with one another chemically or physiologically and therefore cannot be mixed or prescribed together.

noun

1. Usually incompatibles. incompatible persons or things.

2. an incompatible drug or the like.

3. Logic.,  incompatibles,

   1. two or more propositions that cannot be true simultaneously.

   2. two or more attributes that cannot simultaneously belong to the same object.

incompatible

/ ˌɪnkəmˈpætəbəl /

adjective

1. incapable of living or existing together in peace or harmony; conflicting or antagonistic

2. opposed in nature or quality; inconsistent

3. (of an office, position, etc) only able to be held by one person at a time

4. med (esp of two drugs or two types of blood) incapable of being combined or used together; antagonistic

5. logic (of two propositions) unable to be both true at the same time

6. 1. not capable of forming successful grafts

   2. incapable of fertilizing each other

7. maths another word for inconsistent

noun

1. (often plural) a person or thing that is incompatible with another

Other Word Forms

• incompatibility noun
• incompatibleness noun
• incompatibly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of incompatible¹

From the Medieval Latin word incompatibilis, dating back to 1555–65. See in- ³, compatible

Synonym Study

See inconsistent.

Example Sentences

In the blunt words of Document 19, “Marxism is incompatible with any theistic worldview,” an obstacle to socialism’s putatively “brilliant future.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

"As business leaders you will face the daily challenge of finding the balance between profitability and having a positive impact. But the two are not, and should not be incompatible," she said.

Read more on BBC

"This new pattern, gyromorphs, combines properties that we believed to be incompatible and displays a function that outperforms all ordered alternatives, including quasicrystals."

Read more on Science Daily

"Excessive restrictions on the evidence or questioning which may be led at trial can therefore be incompatible with the right to a fair trial."

Read more on BBC

Oh, and they also happen to play their home games in an environment that is fundamentally incompatible with playing the sport of baseball.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• conflicting 
• inappropriate 
• incongruous 
• inconsistent 
• irreconcilable 
• unsuitable 
• unsuited