Incompatible

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˌɪŋkəmˈpætɪbəl/

Definitions

1. Unable to exist or work together harmoniously due to fundamental differences or conflicting characteristics
2. Not suitable for coexistence or cooperation because of inherent differences or opposing traits
3. Incapable of functioning together effectively due to essential disparities or contradictory qualities

Etymology: "Incompatible" is built from the prefix "in-" meaning "not" and "compatible," so its literal sense is "not able to bear or endure together." The English word "compatible" is itself a borrowing, related to the Medieval Latin "compatibilis," from the Latin verb "compati," meaning "to suffer with" or "to bear together." The root image is of two things being unable to share a load or an experience side by side. English took "incompatible" directly from French, where the same word was already in use, so the Latin-derived pieces arrived together in a ready-made form. The sense has shifted over time from the physical idea of things that cannot be carried or endured jointly toward the modern meaning of things, people, or systems that cannot work together.

Synonyms: conflicting, discordant, unrelated, dissonant, inconsistent

Antonyms: compatible, harmonious, suitable, consistent, congruent