incongruity
Americannoun
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something incongruous
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the state or quality of being incongruous
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of incongruity
From the Late Latin word incongruitās, dating back to 1525–35. See in- 3, congruity
Explanation
Incongruity means out of place — something that doesn't fit in its location or situation. The art show patrons couldn't help but chuckle at the incongruity of a toilet sitting in the middle of an exhibition of Renaissance paintings. An incongruity is very different from everything around it, to the point of being inappropriate to the situation. A cat at a dog's birthday party would be an incongruity, as would a pacifist at a meeting of the War Lovers' Society. Incongruity is the idea that something is incongruous, or inappropriate. A purple towel is an incongruity in an all black-and-white bathroom.
Vocabulary lists containing incongruity
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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This Week in Pop Culture: May 4–10, 2019
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Just Mercy
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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.
See Examples For:
“I can see that happening. It’s not urgent,” he said, pointing out the incongruity of the ask when “you have more oil than almost anyone else.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 18, 2025
The incongruity of the lyrics and the peppy melody convey the pain she was experiencing at the height of her career.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 19, 2024
Despite the incongruity, the car's autopilot grabs control and swerves into a ditch.
From Science Daily ● Jan. 31, 2024
So it’s hard to fathom what drew him to “Jesus Christ Superstar,” a musical whose notoriety has been largely premised on the incongruity between its somber subject matter and its disarmingly peppy, down-with-the-kids lingo.
From New York Times ● Jan. 22, 2024
The smile was an incongruity on such a formidable man.
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
Technical strategists see incongruities like this as a sign that the index’s strength has been predicated, somewhat precariously, on the success of a minority of its stocks, making it more vulnerable to adverse developments.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 5, 2025
And when we point out incongruities or inefficiencies in these policies, we’re told: No, you’re inefficient and lazy.
From Slate ● Feb. 21, 2025
Committed fans can shrug off or even enjoy the incongruities fostered by corporate storytelling.
From New York Times ● Jan. 11, 2024
He had a temperament perfectly suited for documenting the incongruities of the city at the turn of the century.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 9, 2023
He was, however, not without a little touch of ridicule at the incongruities he detected in our countrymen.
From Voltaire: A Sketch of his Life and Works by Foote, G. W. (George William)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
