Inconcinnous

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˌɪŋkənˈsɪnəs/

Definitions

1. Lacking harmony, elegance, or proper proportion in arrangement or style; awkward or ungraceful in composition
2. Characterized by a lack of harmony or grace in arrangement, leading to an awkward or ineffective composition that feels disjointed
3. Defined by an absence of elegance and proper proportion in design, resulting in an unrefined and clumsy structure

Etymology: "Inconcinnous" is a learned borrowing from Latin "inconcinnus", meaning "not elegant" or "unskilfully put together," a word built from the negative prefix "in-" and "concinnus," "neatly fitted" or "harmonious." The Latin adjective was itself a formal, rhetorical term, used by Roman writers to describe prose or argument that lacked balance and polish. English adopted the word for the same purpose: to name something whose parts fail to fit into a pleasing whole. It is a rare, bookish term, and its main virtue is precision. Where "awkward" or "disproportionate" describe a feeling, "inconcinnous" points to a specific failure of proportion, the kind a critic might find in a clumsy sentence, an ill-matched building, or a badly composed painting.