incongruent
incongruent Lexical Profile
incongruent Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Not in agreement, harmony, or correspondence; incompatible or inconsistent with surrounding elements or expectations.
"His cheerful tone was completely incongruent with the serious nature of the financial report."
Not identical in shape and size; incapable of being superimposed so as to coincide exactly (of geometric figures).
"Because the two triangles have different side lengths, they are geometrically incongruent."
Word Nuance & Usage
While often used interchangeably with "incongruous" in general contexts, "incongruent" is preferred in geometry, psychology, and logic to denote a precise lack of correspondence or alignment, whereas "incongruous" more commonly describes something that appears visually or socially out of place.
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the 16th century from Latin incongruentem, formed from the negative prefix in- ("not") and congruens, the present participle of congruere ("to come together, agree, or correspond").