Standard Lemma guide

incompatible

adj · noun · 13 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

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˌɪŋkəmˈpætɪbəl/
  • /ˌɪnkəmˈpætɪbəl/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: IH2 N K AH0 M P AE1 T AH0 B AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Of two or more things: that cannot coexist; not congruous because of differences; unable to function together due to dissimilarities.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • My phone is incompatible with the latest version of this app.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: irreconcilable, abhorrent

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Incapable of being together without mutual reaction or decomposition, as certain medicines.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: chemistry, natural-sciences, physical-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

An incompatible substance; one of a group of things that cannot be placed or used together because of a change of chemical composition or opposing medicinal qualities.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: in-plural

Topics: chemistry, medicine, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

Examples

  • the incompatibles of iron

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A consequent of a contrary.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: human-sciences, philosophy, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adjective

Meaning 5

not compatible

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • incompatible personalities
  • incompatible colors

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: compatible

6

adjective

Meaning 6

incapable of being used with or connected to other devices or components without modification

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: compatible

7

adjective

Meaning 7

not suitable to your tastes or needs

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the uncongenial roommates were always fighting
  • the task was uncongenial to one sensitive to rebuffs

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: uncongenial

Antonyms: none provided

8

adjective

Meaning 8

used especially of drugs or muscles that counteract or neutralize each other's effect

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: antagonistic

Antonyms: none provided

9

adjective satellite

Meaning 9

used especially of solids or solutions; incapable of blending into a stable homogeneous mixture

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

adjective satellite

Meaning 10

not in keeping with what is correct or proper

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • completely inappropriate behavior

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: inappropriate, out or keeping(p), unfitting

Antonyms: none provided

11

adjective satellite

Meaning 11

not compatible with other facts

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: discrepant

Antonyms: none provided

12

adjective satellite

Meaning 12

not easy to combine harmoniously

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: ill-sorted, mismated, unsuited

Antonyms: none provided

13

adjective satellite

Meaning 13

of words so related that one contrasts with the other

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • `rich' and `hard-up' are contrastive terms

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: contrastive

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Borrowed from French incompatible.

Across languages

Translations

45 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: անհամատեղելի (anhamateġeli) — impossible to coexist; irreconcilable
  • Bulgarian: несъвместим (nesǎvmestim) — impossible to coexist; irreconcilable
  • Catalan: incompatible — impossible to coexist; irreconcilable
  • Chinese Mandarin: 不兼容的 (bù jiānróng de) — impossible to coexist; irreconcilable
  • Chinese Mandarin: 不相容的 (bù xiāngróng de) — impossible to coexist; irreconcilable
  • Czech: neslučitelný — impossible to coexist; irreconcilable
  • Danish: inkompatibel uforenelig — impossible to coexist; irreconcilable
  • Dutch: onverenigbaar — impossible to coexist; irreconcilable
  • Finnish: yhteensovittamaton — impossible to coexist; irreconcilable
  • Finnish: yhteensopimaton — impossible to coexist; irreconcilable
  • French: incompatible — impossible to coexist; irreconcilable
  • Galician: incompatible — impossible to coexist; irreconcilable
  • Galician: incompatíbel — impossible to coexist; irreconcilable
  • Georgian: შეუთავსებელი (šeutavsebeli) — impossible to coexist; irreconcilable
  • German: inkompatibel — impossible to coexist; irreconcilable
  • German: unvereinbar — impossible to coexist; irreconcilable
  • Greek: ασυμβίβαστος (asymvívastos) — impossible to coexist; irreconcilable
  • Greek: ασύμβατος (asýmvatos) — impossible to coexist; irreconcilable
  • Hungarian: inkompatíbilis — impossible to coexist; irreconcilable
  • Hungarian: összeegyeztethetetlen — impossible to coexist; irreconcilable
  • Irish: neamhfhreagrach — impossible to coexist; irreconcilable
  • Irish: contrártha — impossible to coexist; irreconcilable
  • Italian: incompatibile — impossible to coexist; irreconcilable
  • Japanese: 相容れない (aiirenai) — impossible to coexist; irreconcilable
  • Korean: 양립할 수 없는 (yangniphal su eomneun) — impossible to coexist; irreconcilable
  • Latin: dissociābilis — impossible to coexist; irreconcilable
  • Māori: mataku — impossible to coexist; irreconcilable
  • Norwegian Bokmål: inkompatibel — impossible to coexist; irreconcilable
  • Norwegian Bokmål: uforenlig — impossible to coexist; irreconcilable
  • Occitan: incompatible — impossible to coexist; irreconcilable
  • Persian: ناسازگار (nâsâzgâr) — impossible to coexist; irreconcilable
  • Polish: niekompatybilny — impossible to coexist; irreconcilable
  • Polish: niezgodny — impossible to coexist; irreconcilable
  • Portuguese: incompatível — impossible to coexist; irreconcilable
  • Romanian: incompatibil — impossible to coexist; irreconcilable
  • Russian: несовмести́мый (nesovmestímyj) — impossible to coexist; irreconcilable
  • Spanish: incompatible — impossible to coexist; irreconcilable
  • Spanish: malavenido — impossible to coexist; irreconcilable
  • Swedish: inkompatibel — impossible to coexist; irreconcilable
  • Swedish: oförenlig — impossible to coexist; irreconcilable
  • Turkish: aykırı — impossible to coexist; irreconcilable
  • Turkish: bağdaşmayan — impossible to coexist; irreconcilable
  • Turkish: bağdaşmaz — impossible to coexist; irreconcilable
  • Turkish: uyumsuz — impossible to coexist; irreconcilable
  • Ukrainian: несумі́сний (nesumísnyj) — impossible to coexist; irreconcilable
Real reading context

incompatible in complete knowledge articles