Meaning & use

incongruent

adjective·Academic

Not in agreement or harmony; out of place or inconsistent with the surrounding context.

See it in a sentence

His cheerful tone seemed incongruent with the seriousness of the news he was delivering.

The modern glass extension looked incongruent against the building's old stone facade.

A note on using this word

In geometry, incongruent figures are ones that do not match exactly in shape and size when compared.

Words with a similar meaning

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

consistentharmonious

Another way to use it

2. adjective

(mathematics) Not identical in shape and size, so that one figure cannot be placed exactly over the other.

The two triangles were incongruent because their corresponding sides were different lengths.

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