adj · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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/ɪˈlɛd͡ʒəbəl/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:IH2 L EH1 JH AH0 B AH0 L
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Not clear enough to be read; unreadable; not legible or decipherable.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
illegible handwriting
illegible scribbles
illegible symbols
illegible writing
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: legible
2
adjective
Meaning 2
(of handwriting, print, etc.) not legible
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
illegible handwriting
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: legible
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *né Proto-Indo-European *n̥- Proto-Italic *n̥- Latin in-bor. Middle English in- English il- English legible English illegible From il- + legible.
Across languages
Translations
33 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Belarusian:
неразборлівы
(njerazbórlivy)
— not clear enough to be read
Bulgarian:
нечетлив
(nečetliv)
— not clear enough to be read
Catalan:
illegible
— not clear enough to be read
Catalan:
il·legible
— not clear enough to be read
Chinese Mandarin:
難以辨認的 /难以辨认的
(nányǐ biànrèn de)
— not clear enough to be read
Chinese Mandarin:
很難看懂的 /很难看懂的
(hěn nán kàndǒng de)
— not clear enough to be read
Czech:
nečitelný
— not clear enough to be read
Dutch:
onleesbaar
— not clear enough to be read
Esperanto:
nelegebla
— not clear enough to be read
Finnish:
lukukelvoton
— not clear enough to be read
French:
illisible
— not clear enough to be read
French:
indéchiffrable
— not clear enough to be read
French:
illégible
— not clear enough to be read
Galician:
ilexible
— not clear enough to be read
German:
unleserlich
— not clear enough to be read
Hungarian:
olvashatatlan
— not clear enough to be read
Icelandic:
ólæsilegur
— not clear enough to be read
Italian:
illeggibile
— not clear enough to be read
Japanese:
読めない
(yomenai)
— not clear enough to be read
Japanese:
汚い
(kitanai)
— not clear enough to be read
Luxembourgish:
onlieserlech
— not clear enough to be read
Macedonian:
нечитлив
(nečitliv)
— not clear enough to be read
Polish:
nieczytelny
— not clear enough to be read
Portuguese:
ilegível
— not clear enough to be read
Romanian:
ilizibil
— not clear enough to be read
Russian:
неразбо́рчивый
(nerazbórčivyj)
— not clear enough to be read
Russian:
нечёткий
(nečótkij)
— not clear enough to be read
Spanish:
ilegible
— not clear enough to be read
Spanish:
indescifrable
— not clear enough to be read
Swedish:
oläsbar
— not clear enough to be read
Turkish:
okunaksız
— not clear enough to be read
Turkish:
kargacık burgacık
— not clear enough to be read
Ukrainian:
нерозбі́рливий
(nerozbírlyvyj)
— not clear enough to be read