inchoate

C2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ɪnˈkoʊət/ UK /ɪnˈkəʊət/ See IPA manual

Freq #168399

Meanings

1

adj
Just beginning and not yet fully formed or developed

She had only an inchoate idea of what she wanted to do with her life.
2

adj
Confused and lacking clear shape or order

His argument was inchoate, jumping from one point to another without structure.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · just beginning and not yet... embryonic nascent rudimentary

2 adj · confused and lacking clear... chaotic confused

Word family

Derived forms inchoatelyinchoateness

Related forms inchoationinchoative

Etymology

The adjective is first attested in 1534, the verb circa 1631; borrowed from Latin incohātus (“begun, unfinished”), perfect passive participle of incohō (“to begin”), see -ate (etymology 1, 2 and 3). Cognate with Spanish incoar (“to initiate, commence, begin”).

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# inchoate

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ɪnˈkoʊət/
**IPA (UK):** /ɪnˈkəʊət/
**Frequency rank:** 168399

## Meanings
1. Just beginning and not yet fully formed or developed
2. Confused and lacking clear shape or order

## Examples
- She had only an inchoate idea of what she wanted to do with her life.
- His argument was inchoate, jumping from one point to another without structure.

## Derived Forms
- inchoately
- inchoateness

## Related Forms
- inchoation
- inchoative

## Etymology
The adjective is first attested in 1534, the verb circa 1631; borrowed from Latin incohātus (“begun, unfinished”), perfect passive participle of incohō (“to begin”), see -ate (etymology 1, 2 and 3). Cognate with Spanish incoar (“to initiate, commence, begin”).

## AI Etymology
Inchoate has separate etymological notes: The adjective is first attested in 1534, the verb circa 1631; borrowed from Latin incohātus (“begun, unfinished”), perfect passive participle of incohō (“to begin”), see -ate (etymology 1, 2 and 3). Cognate with Spanish incoar (“to initiate, commence, begin”). Current senses include just beginning and not yet fully formed or developed and confused and lacking clear shape or order. The wider family includes derived forms such as inchoately and inchoateness and related words such as inchoation and inchoative.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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