Meaning & use
illegibility
Last updated
Meaning
noununcountable
The quality of being impossible or very difficult to read.
Grammar: Uncountable noun: 'the illegibility of the text'. Do not use 'illegibilities'.
Patterns
- the illegibility of something
- due to illegibility
- illegibility of handwriting
The illegibility of the doctor's handwriting made the prescription hard to fill.
The old manuscript's illegibility increased as the ink faded.
He complained about the illegibility of the instructions on the package.
Common combinations
- illegibility of handwriting
- The illegibility of his handwriting caused many errors.
- due to illegibility
- The form was rejected due to illegibility.
- the illegibility of the text
- Scholars struggled with the illegibility of the ancient text.
Synonyms and how they differ
- unreadability
- This can mean the same thing, but it is even rarer and often refers to something being too boring or unpleasant to read, not just hard to see.
- unclearness
- This is broader and can refer to meaning, not just physical handwriting; 'illegibility' is specifically about not being able to read the letters.
Opposites
Word family
- illegible adjective
- Impossible or very hard to read.
- legibility noun
- The quality of being clear enough to read.
- legible adjective
- Clear enough to be read easily.
Commonly confused: illegibility or illegality? illegibility or eligibility?
illegibility vs illegality
This means the state of being against the law. 'Illegibility' is about being hard to read. They sound similar but have completely different meanings.
illegibility vs eligibility
This means having the right qualifications to do or get something. It is often confused with 'illegibility' because the sounds are close.
Practice
The _______ of the handwriting made the note impossible to read.
Choose one answer.
'Illegibility' means the quality of being hard to read, which fits the context of handwriting. 'Legibility' is the opposite (easy to read). 'Illegality' means against the law, and 'eligibility' means having the right to do something.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “illegibility”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.