Meaning & use
inconsistency
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Meanings
nouncountable
A point where two statements, facts or actions do not fit together or contradict each other.
Grammar: Countable in this sense: several inconsistencies.
Patterns
- an inconsistency in something
- an inconsistency between things
The detective noticed an inconsistency in the witness's story.
There are several inconsistencies between the two reports.
The audit found small inconsistencies in the accounts.
noununcountable
The habit of changing so that quality, behavior or results are not steady.
Grammar: Uncountable when describing a general lack of steadiness: the team's inconsistency.
Patterns
- inconsistency in doing something
The coach blamed the team's inconsistency for the losses.
Inconsistency in discipline confuses children.
The restaurant is known for inconsistency in quality.
Word forms
| plural | inconsistencies |
|---|
Common combinations
- glaring inconsistency
- There is a glaring inconsistency in the budget.
- point out an inconsistency
- The lawyer pointed out an inconsistency in the timeline.
- inconsistency in
- I noticed an inconsistency in your numbers.
- logical inconsistency
- The essay contains a logical inconsistency.
- resolve inconsistencies
- The editor worked to resolve inconsistencies in the text.
Synonyms and how they differ
- discrepancy
- Discrepancy usually means a gap between two figures or accounts that should match, while inconsistency covers behavior as well.
- contradiction
- Contradiction is stronger and means two things cannot both be true.
- variability
- Variability is a neutral, technical word and does not imply fault.
- unreliability
- Unreliability stresses that you cannot depend on someone or something, rather than that parts clash.
Opposites
Word family
- inconsistent adjective
- not staying the same or not matching
- inconsistently adverb
- in an unsteady way
- consistent adjective
- staying the same over time
- consistency noun
- the quality of being steady or matching
Commonly confused: inconsistency or inconsistency vs. inconsequence?
inconsistency vs inconsistency vs. inconsequence
Inconsequence means lack of importance or logic and is much rarer than inconsistency.
Practice
The police found an ___ between the two witnesses' accounts.
Choose one answer.
Two accounts that do not match show an inconsistency; consistency is the opposite, and the other words do not fit the meaning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “inconsistency”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.