incondite
Americanadjective
-
poorly constructed or composed
-
rough or crude
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of incondite
First recorded in 1530–40; from Latin inconditus, equivalent to in- “un-” + conditus, past participle of condere “to put in, restore” ( con- “with, together” + -di- “to put, set” + -tus past participle suffix); see in- 3, con-
Explanation
The word incondite describes something that's unpolished or in a disorganized state — like a rough draft of an essay, before you've cleaned it up and made it flow more coherently. Derived from the Latin word inconditus ("not put together"), incondite describes works that lack order, rhythm, or refinement. While often used to critique rambling speech or clumsy prose, it can also describe anything raw and unfinished — like a crude shelter made of loosely piled stones and fallen branches. The word isn't always an insult: A historian might value an incondite journal that captures the raw, unedited reality of a moment, or the early, incondite works of a renowned artist or writer.
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.
There is among them a hymn, of which the metre is so incondite, and the phraseology so ancient, that the grammarians have attributed it to Linus.
From Imaginary Conversations and Poems A Selection by Walter Savage Landor
The question of arrangement had to be considered; I did not like to offer a mere incondite miscellany.
From The Private Papers of Henry Ryecroft by George Gissing
Willymot had translated Lord Bacon’s “Essays” from the Latin, and thus substituted his own loose incondite sentences, which he deemed “more fashionable language,” for the brilliancy or the energy of Lord Bacon’s native vein.
From Amenities of Literature Consisting of Sketches and Characters of English Literature by Isaac Disraeli
The Second had what I should call an oppressively incondite mind.
From Captain Macedoine's Daughter by William McFee
Reared in incondite depths of doom As shadows spell each sinner's name, A Necromancer mounts a stand That storms and sleet struck with their helm, And smites the weird elements.
From Betelguese A Trip Through Hell by Jean de Esque
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