incoherent
adjective
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Something that is coherent holds or sticks together firmly, with resistance to separation (that is, it coheres). Coherent, ultimately from the Latin co- ("together") and haerēre ("to stick or cling"), entered English in the 16th century and almost from the beginning was used both of physical things ("coherent stone") and of things which hold together in a much less palpable way ("coherent thoughts"). Its antonym, incoherent, entered the language some decades later. Like coherent, incoherent can be applied to both the tangible and the intangible. But, whether we are speaking of sand or logic, all things incoherent have one thing in common: they do not hold together, literally or figuratively, in a unified or intelligible whole.
Examples of incoherent in a Sentence
Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 28 June 2024
But there’s also bad news: Chief Justice John Roberts’s majority opinion is utterly incoherent.
—Ian Millhiser, Vox, 21 June 2024
Suozzi said the endorsement was incoherent because the union supported the bipartisan border deal, and because the deal would benefit the union’s workers.
—Tim Balk, New York Daily News, 7 Feb. 2024
To complain, as the European Parliament has for years, that outsiders should not have access to the bloc without residence requirements, language tests, or other displays of civic engagement is incoherent, Surak argues.
—Atossa Araxia Abrahamian, Foreign Affairs, 12 Dec. 2023
See all Example Sentences for incoherent 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'incoherent.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near incoherent
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“Incoherent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incoherent. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.
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incoherent
adjective
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incoherent
adjective
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