incongruity

noun

in·​con·​gru·​i·​ty ˌin-kən-ˈgrü-ə-tē How to pronounce incongruity (audio)
-ˌkän-
plural incongruities
1
: the quality or state of being incongruous
2
: something that is incongruous

Examples of incongruity in a Sentence

she's an incongruity: an impeccably groomed woman who keeps a messy house
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In another show, with a lesser writer, such incongruities could be read as character inconsistencies, accidental oversights, mistakes. Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 7 Apr. 2025 This is the incongruity that fuels Universal Language, Matthew Rankin’s glorious parody-slash-ode to someone else’s shadows-on-a-wall missives — a gesture of decontextualization that layers one country’s extraordinary visual poetry over another’s extreme blandness. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 14 Feb. 2025 The natural state of life is that of incongruity; thus, better have your boxes ready. Colin Fleming, New York Daily News, 22 Jan. 2025 Setting aside the delightful incongruity between the coach who once promised to bite off peoples’ kneecaps and his miniature companions, the fourth-down factor is a big part of what makes the Lions Must-See TV. Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 17 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for incongruity

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1532, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of incongruity was circa 1532

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Cite this Entry

“Incongruity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incongruity. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.

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