incomprehensibility
|in-com-pre-hen-si-bi-li-ty|
🇺🇸
/ˌɪnkəmprɛhɛnˈsɪbɪlɪti/
🇬🇧
/ˌɪnkəmprɪˌhɛnˈsɪbɪlɪti/
cannot be understood
Etymology
'incomprehensibility' originates from Latin and Old French components: the prefix 'in-' (meaning 'not'), Latin 'comprehendere' (to seize, grasp) and the abstract noun-forming suffix '-ibility' (from Latin '-ibilitas').
'incomprehensibility' developed from the Latin verb 'comprehendere' → Old French 'comprendre' → Middle English 'comprehenden'/'comprehend', which produced the adjective 'comprehensible'; adding the negative prefix 'in-' and the noun suffix '-ity' formed the modern English 'incomprehensibility'.
Initially related to the literal sense 'not able to be seized or grasped' (from physical 'seize'), its meaning shifted to the abstract sense 'not able to be mentally grasped or understood', which is the current usage.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the state or quality of being impossible or extremely difficult to understand.
The incomprehensibility of the manual frustrated new users.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Noun 2
something that is incomprehensible (rarely used in this countable sense).
To many readers, the poem's incomprehensibilities were part of its charm.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/12/25 01:22