incompatibility

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable or uncountable

   A condition in which two things cannot work, exist or be combined together successfully.

   Grammar: Uncountable for the general state (incompatibility is common); countable for specific cases (several incompatibilities).

   Patterns

   • incompatibility between things
   • incompatibility with something

   Engineers traced the crash to an incompatibility between the two software versions.

   There is an incompatibility with older phones, so the app will not install.

   Doctors check for blood-type incompatibility before a transfusion.

2. 2noununcountable

   A deep difference in character, values or goals that stops two people from getting along or staying together.

   Grammar: Usually about people, often in a relationship or marriage context.

   Patterns

   • incompatibility of something
   • the incompatibility of two people

   They split up because of a basic incompatibility in what they wanted from life.

   The couple cited incompatibility of temperament when they separated.

   His incompatibility with the rest of the team became clear within weeks.

3. 3nouncountable or uncountablelegal

   In law, a clash between two rules, rights or obligations so that both cannot be applied at once.

   Grammar: Used in legal and policy writing, often with 'with' a law or treaty.

   Patterns

   • incompatibility with a law
   • legal incompatibility

   The court found an incompatibility between the new rule and the constitution.

   Lawyers argued about the incompatibility of the two contracts.

   Any incompatibility with human rights law would have to be fixed.

Word forms

Common combinations

fundamental incompatibility

A fundamental incompatibility doomed the partnership.

technical incompatibility

A technical incompatibility stopped the printer from working.

incompatibility of temperament

They divorced, citing incompatibility of temperament.

resolve an incompatibility

The update was designed to resolve an incompatibility with older devices.

blood-type incompatibility

Blood-type incompatibility can cause serious reactions.

Synonyms and how they differ

mismatch

Mismatch is more informal and suggests two things simply do not fit together, with less sense of a lasting clash.

conflict

Conflict suggests active opposition, whereas incompatibility can be a quiet inability to combine.

discord

Discord means disagreement or lack of harmony between people, and does not fit machines or rules.

Opposites

Word family

incompatible adjective

unable to work or live together

compatible adjective

able to work or exist together without problems

compatibility noun

the quality of fitting together well

incompatibly adverb

in a way that does not fit together

Commonly confused: incompatibility or incompetence?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “incompatibility”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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