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incompatible

incompatible

1 5.1
A person or thing that cannot work with another without causing problems
  • noun
  • /ˌɪnkəmˈpætəbl/
translation icon : elemento incompatible
  • In a team project, having two leaders with incompatibles views often leads to confusion and conflict.

Examples

  • Nothing in common, so to speak, no spark, and eventually the nastiness you get when you have a collection of incompatibles.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • Their spirit wars with their flesh; they wish for incompatibles, wayward impulses interrupt their most deliberate plans, and their lives are one long drama of repentance and effort to repair misdemeanors and mistakes.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • For each request find the number of incompatible requests.

  • When the new software was installed, it caused several incompatibles with the existing systems, making it difficult for users to work efficiently.

  • The meeting highlighted the incompatibles between the two departments, which hindered progress on the overall project.

Synonyms

contradiction
vsincompatible
117 4.3

A situation where two ideas or statements cannot both be true

applies beyond ideas to people or things that cannot work jointly
collision
vsincompatible
31 3.7

A strong clash between ideas or goals

implies active conflict rather than simple inability to work together
mismatch
vsincompatible
21 3.6

A combination of people or things that do not go well together

covers the same idea but stresses inability to exist or work together due to conflict
incongruity
vsincompatible
6 8.0

A situation where something does not fit or seem right

speaks to not fitting in visually or logically rather than active inability to work together
incompatibility
vsincompatible
4 6.6

A situation where two things cannot work or live together without problems

is the adjective form used to describe this same state
oil and water
vsincompatible
  • Informal
1 4.6

People or things that are completely different and do not get along

is the general label for items that cannot exist or cooperate together
chalk and cheese
vsincompatible
  • UK
1 6.3

Two people or things that are completely different from each other

is the neutral descriptive term for inability to exist or work together
discordance
vsincompatible
1 8.1

A situation where people or groups disagree and feel tension

refers to inability to exist together, not only the resulting strife
incongruence
vsincompatible
1 8.1

A lack of agreement between things or ideas

focuses on mismatch in form or fit rather than complete inability to work together
irreconcilability
vsincompatible
9.0

A situation where two people or groups cannot agree even after trying

applies more broadly to people or things failing to operate together
nonreconciliation
vsincompatible
9.3

A situation when people, groups, or data do not agree

refers to general cases where persons or things cannot coexist or cooperate
contradictoriness
vsincompatible
9.1

A state where ideas or statements say opposite things and cannot both be true

is the simple label for individual things that fail to work together
confliction
vsincompatible
  • Specialized
8.2

A problem when rules or data do not agree

focuses on practical clashes in systems rather than general inability to coexist
inharmony
vsincompatible
8.2

Lack of agreement between people in a team or group

is stronger, meaning they cannot exist or function together because of conflict
mismatching
vsincompatible
4.0

A situation when two things do not agree, for example study results

is the static state rather than the process of not fitting together

Antonyms

112 4.1

Able to exist or work together without conflict

How Compatible

harmonious
14 4.2
complementary
30 4.1
compatible
112 4.1
incompatible
1 5.1
conflicting
7 4.2
mismatched
3 3.4

Surface Forms

incompatible singular
incompatibles plural

Etymology

Incompatible as a noun names a person or thing that is 'not' (in-) a 'match' (compatible), so it means someone or something that cannot be used or joined together with another.