incomprehensible

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ɪnˌkɑmprɪˈhɛnsəbəl/ UK /ɪnˌkɒmprɪˈhɛnsəbəl/ See IPA manual

adj

Meanings

1

adj
impossible to understand

The legal jargon was utterly incomprehensible to the jury.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · impossible to understand unintelligible baffling impenetrable unfathomable inscrutable obscure

Opposites

comprehensible intelligible understandable clear

Word family

Forms incomprehensibly

Derived forms incomprehensiblyincomprehensibility

Related forms comprehensible comprehend comprehension

Etymology

From Latin incomprehensibilis, from in- ('not') + comprehensibilis, from comprehendere ('to grasp, comprehend'), from com- ('together') + prehendere ('to seize').

comprehendere Latin prehendere Latin *gʰend- Proto-Indo-European

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Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

# incomprehensible

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** ɪnˌkɑmprɪˈhɛnsəbəl
**IPA (UK):** ɪnˌkɒmprɪˈhɛnsəbəl

## Meanings
1. impossible to understand

## Examples
- The legal jargon was utterly incomprehensible to the jury.

## Synonyms
- unintelligible
- baffling
- impenetrable
- unfathomable
- inscrutable
- obscure

## Antonyms
- comprehensible
- intelligible
- understandable
- clear

## Derived Forms
- incomprehensibly
- incomprehensibility

## Related Forms
- comprehensible
- comprehend
- comprehension

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: comprehendere
- Root: prehendere
- Root: *gʰend-

## Etymology
From Latin incomprehensibilis, from in- ('not') + comprehensibilis, from comprehendere ('to grasp, comprehend'), from com- ('together') + prehendere ('to seize').

## AI Etymology
Incomprehensible is from Latin incomprehensibilis, from in- ('not') + comprehensibilis, from comprehendere ('to grasp, comprehend'), from com- ('together') + prehendere ('to seize'). In present-day use, it means impossible to understand. Derived formations include incomprehensibly and incomprehensibility. Related vocabulary includes comprehensible, comprehend, and comprehension.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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