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”; see 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."