inconsistency
/ˌɪnkənˈsɪstənsi/in-kuhn-SIH-stuhn-see
/ˌɪnkənˈsɪstənsi/in-kuhn-SIH-stuhn-see
Meaningthe quality of being inconsistent
Common meaning: not staying the same
Other meanings: a contradiction
- inin, into; (before adjectives) not
- conwith, together; thoroughly
- sistto cause to stand, setLewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), p. 1711 · scan
- encynoun ending: the quality or state of
‘in, into’ + ‘with, together’ + ‘to cause to stand, set’ → inconsistency
Journey through time
- Latinconsistere‘to stand together’source
- Englishinconsistent‘not staying the same’
- Englishformed in English from inconsistentinconsistency‘not staying the same’ · today
Sources & notes
Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.
Pronunciation
- UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
- No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
- US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
- No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.
Origin: Formed in English from inconsistent + -ency.
Dictionary: Skeat (1898), INCONSISTENT, p.288 · scan
Roots
- sistō, stitī Latin “to cause to stand, set”
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