incompatibility

noun

in·​com·​pat·​i·​bil·​i·​ty ˌin-kəm-ˌpa-tə-ˈbi-lə-tē How to pronounce incompatibility (audio)
plural incompatibilities
1
a
: the quality or state of being incompatible
b
: lack of interfertility between two plants
2
incompatibilities plural : mutually antagonistic things or qualities

Examples of incompatibility in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web If, for example, a woman is worried that her partner doesn’t spend enough quality time with her, that might just be a sign of incompatibility. Elissa Strauss, The Atlantic, 25 Feb. 2024 Atop of the list of reasons for splitting is financial incompatibility. Jasmine Browley, Essence, 13 Feb. 2024 And people don’t always want to leave as a result of incompatibility issues or personality conflicts. Terri Williams, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024 Google recently rolled out a campaign to implore the EU to qualify iMessage for regulation, as Android's iMessage incompatibility is a big deal in the US. Ron Amadeo, Ars Technica, 6 Dec. 2023 Design changes in recent years have helped to address incompatibility with the corridor’s catenary system — the overhead wires that supply the train with electricity. Luz Lazo, Washington Post, 27 May 2023 The championship window is slim and any sniff of roster incompatibility needs to be addressed ASAP. Shayna Rubin, The Mercury News, 13 Jan. 2024 To explain the dissonance between the celebratory reception to the new ETFs and their blatant incompatibility with the Nakamoto ethos, bitcoiners point to the difficulty in achieving widespread adoption to date. Joel Khalili, WIRED, 11 Jan. 2024 Time and time again wine creates a simple yet unbreakable bond between man and land against all odds of incompatibility. Ani Duzdabanyan, Los Angeles Times, 22 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'incompatibility.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of incompatibility was in 1611

Dictionary Entries Near incompatibility

Cite this Entry

“Incompatibility.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incompatibility. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

incompatibility

noun
in·​com·​pat·​i·​bil·​i·​ty ˌin-kəm-ˌpat-ə-ˈbil-ət-ē How to pronounce incompatibility (audio)
plural incompatibilities
: the quality or state of being incompatible

Medical Definition

incompatibility

noun
in·​com·​pat·​i·​bil·​i·​ty ˌin-kəm-ˌpat-ə-ˈbil-ət-ē How to pronounce incompatibility (audio)
plural incompatibilities
: the quality or state of being incompatible
chemical incompatibility

More from Merriam-Webster on incompatibility

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