Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word
unintelligible. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
unintelligible, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
unintelligible in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
unintelligible you have here. The definition of the word
unintelligible will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
unintelligible, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Etymology
un- + intelligible.
Pronunciation
Adjective
unintelligible (comparative more unintelligible, superlative most unintelligible)
- Not intelligible; unable to be understood.
- 1697, John Locke, Letter to the Bishop of Worcester (second reply):
- And indeed, my lord, there are so many passages in your writing in this controversy with me, which for their construction, as well as otherwise, are so unintelligible to me, that if I should be so unmannerly as to measure your understanding by mine, I should not know what to think of them.
1744, A Dialogue Between the Rev. Mr. Jenkin Evans and Mr. Peter Dobson, concerning Bishops., London: M. Cooper, at the Globe in Pater-noſter-row, →OCLC, page 37:They have ſwallowed and digeſted all the Fathers, the Codes, Provincials, Decretals, Pandects, Councils, Canons ; are Maſters of all the Schoolmen, not to fill their Heads and ſtuff their Writings with Quiddities and Quoddities, and far-fetched unintelligible Diſtinctions, but to be able to reaſon cloſely, to argue ſolidly, to rebuke, to confute, to reply, to rejoind, to ſyllogize, to criticize, to apologize, to advertize, to ſermonize, to decypherize, to――
1936, Rollo Ahmed, The Black Art, London: Long, page 216:The curious feature of the art was that "horse-whisperers" actually talked to the animal, usually from mouth to ear, in an unintelligible tongue; which, however, the horses appeared to understand.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Translations
See also