Incappable

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Unable to perform a particular action or task ; lacking the power or capacity to carry something out
2. Not having the skill, strength or means needed to accomplish something ; without the ability to act in a given way
3. Deficient in the competence required for a specific undertaking ; having no power to achieve or bring about an outcome

Etymology: "Incappable" is built from the prefix "in-" meaning "not" and "capable," so it simply means "not capable," and in its sense of "unable to act" it fits the same pattern as "incapable." English has had "capable" since the 1600s, borrowed from Late Latin "capabilis," from Latin "capere," meaning "to take, hold, or grasp." That original sense of holding or containing survives in the word's roots more than in its everyday use. The word's notable feature is that it is a rare variant of a more familiar form. "Incapable" is the standard adjective, and "incappable" appears as a less common spelling and form that has been recorded in dictionaries, though far less often than its rival. Because the two words mean the same thing, English speakers usually reach for "incapable" without a second thought, and "incappable" survives mainly as a curiosity of the language.