inconsistently-enforced
|in-con-sist-ent-ly-en-forced|
🇺🇸
/ˌɪnkənˈsɪstəntli ɪnˈfɔrst/
🇬🇧
/ˌɪnkənˈsɪstəntli ɪnˈfɔːst/
applied irregularly or unevenly
Etymology
The word 'inconsistently-enforced' is a compound adjective formed from 'inconsistently' (from 'inconsistent' + '-ly') and 'enforced' (past participle of 'enforce'). 'Inconsistent' comes from Latin 'in-' meaning 'not' and 'consistere' meaning 'to stand together.' 'Enforce' comes from Old French 'enforcier,' from Latin 'in-' meaning 'in' and 'fortis' meaning 'strong.'
'Inconsistently' and 'enforced' were combined in modern English to describe the irregular application of rules or laws, resulting in the compound adjective 'inconsistently-enforced.'
Initially, the parts meant 'not in a consistent manner' and 'applied by force,' but together they now mean 'not applied in a consistent manner.'
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
describes a rule, law, or policy that is not applied or upheld in a consistent manner.
The school's dress code is inconsistently-enforced, leading to confusion among students.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/07/27 02:31