incongruence

American  

[in-kong-groo-uhns, in-kuhn-groo-, -kuhng-] / ɪnˈkɒŋ gru əns, ˌɪn kənˈgru-, -kəŋ- /

noun

1. the state or condition of not being in agreement, accordance, or harmony, or the degree to which things are in this state.

   The incongruence in cultural values and norms between Americanized adolescents and their more traditional immigrant parents can lead to family conflict and adolescent behavior problems.

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Etymology

Origin of incongruence

First recorded in 1580–90; from Late Latin incongruentia, from Latin incongruent-, stem of incongruēns “inconsistent”; incongruent ( def. )

Explanation

Incongruence is a state of being out of place or incompatible. There would be a certain incongruence to your dad yelling at you and your siblings, "There is absolutely no yelling in this house!" Use the noun incongruence for things or situations that just don't quite fit or make sense, like the incongruence of one person sliding down a hill on a plastic sled surrounded by skiers and snowboarders. You could also note the incongruence of a grand house that looks perfectly maintained on the outside but is decrepit and rotting on the inside. Incongruence is derived from a Latin word that means "inconsistent" or "not coming together."

Example Sentences

Goldman bankers complained to senior management, pointing out the seeming incongruence of the revelations and Ruemmler’s role on the firm’s reputational risk committee, which is charged with deciding which clients the bank shouldn’t work with.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 20, 2026

The KCL research team said: "Clinical care should always be underpinned by robust evidence, and this study will help provide a better understanding of how to treat and care for young people with gender incongruence."

From BBC • Dec. 10, 2025

Other forms of gender incongruence, such as identifying as nonbinary or gender nonconforming, further challenge the idea that children should be forced to abide by traditional gender categories.

From Scientific American • Aug. 24, 2023

“The main objective is to alleviate distress associated with gender incongruence and promote the individual’s global functioning and well-being,” the N.H.S. guidance said.

From New York Times • Jun. 9, 2023

The incongruence between thought and experience, therefore, will continue to subsist as long as the two pursue their course side by side; but it will be continually diminished.

From Popular scientific lectures by Mach, Ernst