Words / C1

ink-uh-m-PAT-uh-bl/ˌɪnkəmˈpætəbl/

Incompatible means unable to work or exist together: incompatible software, incompatible with the protocol. Compatible (already in the dictionary) is the positive. Clashing is everyday. Incompatibility is the noun. Do not call two people incompatible in a lab book unless you mean methods or data, not gossip.

Meaning

Unable to exist or work together without conflict.

Examples

• “The two software builds were incompatible, so the shared file died.”
• “The two builds were incompatible, so the shared spreadsheet died on Friday.”
• “A finding incompatible with the model is science; “incompatible personalities” is a different register.”

Good to know

Cannot work together. Opposite: compatible. Noun: incompatibility. Everyday: clashing. Keep gossip out of methods.

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