adj · 7 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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/ˌɪnkənˈsɪstənt/
General-American:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:IH2 N K AH0 N S IH1 S T AH0 N T
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Not consistent:
Not compatible (with another thing); incompatible, discrepant, at odds.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
His account of the evening was inconsistent with the security-camera footage.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: consistent
2
adj
Meaning 2
Not consistent:
Lacking internal consistency; self-contradicting; not compatible with itself.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
He gave an inconsistent account of the evening, saying he called her before eight, but later that he had not talked to her until after nine.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: spotty, mixed
Antonyms: consistent
3
adj
Meaning 3
Not consistent:
Not consistent or coherent in thought or behavior.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: consistent
4
adj
Meaning 4
Not consistent:
Having the property that a contradiction can be derived.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: consistent
5
adjective
Meaning 5
displaying a lack of consistency
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
inconsistent statements cannot both be true at the same time
inconsistent with the roadmap
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: consistent
6
adjective satellite
Meaning 6
not in agreement
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: discrepant
Antonyms: none provided
7
adjective satellite
Meaning 7
not capable of being made consistent or harmonious
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
inconsistent accounts
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *né Proto-Indo-European *n̥- Proto-Italic *n̥- Latin in-bor. Middle English in- English in- English consistent English inconsistent From in- + consistent.
Across languages
Translations
54 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
несъвместим
(nesǎvmestim)
— not compatible
German:
nicht kompatibel (mit)
— not compatible
German:
nicht vereinbar (mit)
— not compatible
German:
fremd
— not compatible
Hungarian:
ellentmondó
— not compatible
Hungarian:
összeegyeztethetetlen
— not compatible
Latin:
alienus
— not compatible
Bulgarian:
непоследователен
(neposledovatelen)
— not consistent
Bulgarian:
противоречив
(protivorečiv)
— not consistent
Catalan:
inconsistent
— not consistent
Chinese Mandarin:
不一致的
(bù yīzhì de)
— not consistent
Czech:
nekonzistentní
— not consistent
Esperanto:
malakorda
— not consistent
Finnish:
epäjohdonmukainen
— not consistent
Finnish:
inkonsistentti
— not consistent
Finnish:
epäkonsistentti
— not consistent
Finnish:
vaihteleva
— not consistent
French:
incohérent
— not consistent
French:
incompatible
— not consistent
Galician:
inconsistente
— not consistent
Georgian:
შეუთავსებელი
(šeutavsebeli)
— not consistent
German:
inkonsistent
— not consistent
German:
widersprüchlich
— not consistent
German:
stimmt nicht überein
— not consistent
Greek:
ανακόλουθος
(anakólouthos)
— not consistent
Ancient Greek:
ἀνακόλουθος
(anakólouthos)
— not consistent
Hungarian:
inkonzisztens
— not consistent
Hungarian:
következetlen
— not consistent
Indonesian:
inkonsisten
— not consistent
Italian:
inconsistente
— not consistent
Latin:
inconstans
— not consistent
Māori:
hārakiraki
— not consistent
Norwegian Bokmål:
inkonsekvent
— not consistent
Norwegian Bokmål:
selvmotsigende
— not consistent
Norwegian Nynorsk:
inkonsekvent
— not consistent
Norwegian Nynorsk:
sjølvmotseiande
— not consistent
Occitan:
inconsistent
— not consistent
Plautdietsch:
onbestendich
— not consistent
Polish:
niekonsekwentny
— not consistent
Polish:
niespójny
— not consistent
Polish:
sprzeczny
— not consistent
Portuguese:
inconsistente
— not consistent
Romanian:
neconsistent
— not consistent
Romanian:
inconsistent
— not consistent
Russian:
рассогласованный
(rassoglasovannyj)
— not consistent
Russian:
непостоя́нный
(nepostojánnyj)
— not consistent
Russian:
непосле́довательный
(neposlédovatelʹnyj)
— not consistent
Russian:
противоречи́вый
(protivorečívyj)
— not consistent
Russian:
неусто́йчивый
(neustójčivyj)
— not consistent
Russian:
изме́нчивый
(izménčivyj)
— not consistent