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inchoately

inchoately

9.9
In a rough, not finished way that is unclear
  • adverb
  • /ɪnˈkoʊʧəˌli/
  • Formal
translation icon : inicialmente
  • Although the theory was inchoately presented, its potential implications intrigued the researchers.

Examples

  • Her understanding of the project was still inchoately formed, leaving many details unaddressed.

  • This vision of history has been spelled out at least inchoately in Theology and the Dialectics of History.

    Academic text (2006)
  • But I inchoately grasped that the perennial wisdom offered us the possibility of re-enchanting the world.

    Academic text (1995)
  • And the enduring memory of the way in which a policy disagreement within the Democratic Party had resulted in blood and panic in Grant Park may have contributed inchoately to Nixon's own 20-point win in 1972.

    Academic text (2010)
  • However inchoately, Isa also knows that, like tolling bells, convention writes predictable and closed scripts, excluding or suppressing deviations and other stories.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • The first draft of his novel was inchoately crafted, full of ideas that needed further development.

Synonyms

indistinctly
vsinchoately
23 6.3

Hard to see, hear, or remember clearly

refers to beginnings and poor development rather than mere sensory vagueness
incoherently
vsinchoately
5 6.7

In a way that is not clear or logical

describes early, poorly formed state rather than simply lack of logical order
incompletely
vsinchoately
2 3.4

Partly done and not finished

is about early development and poor organization rather than only being unfinished
sketchily
vsinchoately
1 7.1

In a rough, incomplete way that lacks detail

focuses on being at an early undeveloped stage rather than only missing detail
amorphously
vsinchoately
7.6

In a way that has no clear shape or structure

emphasizes early undeveloped state rather than merely lacking shape
gauzily
vsinchoately
8.4

In a vague way without clear detail

describes early weak formation rather than only a delicate insubstantial quality

How Developed

fully
1.0
clearly
881 1.0
partly
375 1.0
inchoately
  • Formal
9.9
vaguely
115 3.9
barely
1.0

Surface Forms

inchoately positive

Morphology

inchoately = inchoate (transparent) = inchoate + ly

Standard adverbial formation from the adjective 'inchoate' by adding '-ly', yielding 'in a manner that is inchoate'.

Etymology

Inchoately comes from the Latin verb inchoare and the root incho-, which mean 'to begin'. So, to do something inchoately is to do it in a 'beginning' or 'not finished' way, which is why the word describes unclear or half-formed ideas and plans.