Incompatibility

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˌɪnkəmˌpætɪˈbɪlɪti/

Definitions

1. The state of being unable to exist or work together harmoniously due to fundamental differences in nature or characteristics
2. The circumstance where two or more elements cannot coexist harmoniously due to significant differences in their fundamental characteristics
3. The condition where two or more entities are unable to function effectively together because of inherent differences in nature or properties

Etymology: Incompatibility is a plain formation: the adjective "incompatible" with the English suffix "-ity", which turns adjectives into nouns of state or quality. The adjective itself came into English from French "incompatible", which is built from the Latin prefix "in-" meaning "not" and "compatible", a word from medieval Latin "compatibilis" meaning able to bear or endure together with something else. So the core idea is literally that two things cannot bear each other's company. The suffix has its own route. The "-ity" ending came into English through Old French "-ite" and Middle English "-ite", ultimately from Latin "-itas", which was attached to adjectives to form abstract nouns. Its Proto-Indo-European ancestry is ancient, but English simply took it over as a productive ending, so it can be added to almost any adjective of the right shape.

Synonyms: conflict, discrepancy, inconsistency, disagreement

Antonyms: compatibility, agreement, harmony, congruence