incommensurable

IPA/ˌɪnkəˈmenʃərəbl/
IPA/ˌɪnkəˈmenʃərəbl/

incommensurable — adjective

  • incommensurablepositive
  • more incommensurablecomparative
  • most incommensurablesuperlative

1. Two or more things that are so different in type, quality, or nature that using

1.adjectiveC1
Definition

Two or more things that are so different in type, quality, or nature that using the same rule or method to compare or judge them does not make sense.

Example

Linh felt that her passion for painting and her salary were incommensurable things.

be + incommensurable + noun (comparing abstract vs concrete)

The two legal systems were so different that the judge called them incommensurable.

passive with 'so different that' pattern

Common collocations
  • incommensurable with
  • incommensurable values
  • incommensurable systems
  • incommensurable standards
  • incommensurable frameworks
Synonyms
  • incomparable

    So good or extreme that nothing else matches; incommensurable focuses on the system of measurement being different, not on one thing being superior.

  • disparate

    Two things that are very different in kind; incommensurable adds the idea that no common measure exists at all.

  • unlike

    Everyday word for things that are not the same; incommensurable is much stronger and more formal.

Antonyms
  • commensurable

    Able to be measured or compared using the same standard.

  • comparable

    Similar enough to be reasonably compared or judged.

  • equivalent

    Equal in value, amount, meaning, or importance.

Grammar Patterns

be + incommensurable

be + incommensurable + with + noun phrase

find + noun phrase + incommensurable

Usage Note

Commonly used in formal writing, philosophy, and academic discussions to compare systems of value that resist a single measuring scale. The preposition 'with' often follows: 'This framework is incommensurable with that one.'

Common Mistakes

The two prices are incommensurable
The two sets of values are incommensurable
incommensurable is used for systems or categories, not for individual numbers that are simply different in size.
These theories are incommensurable with each other because they have no relation
These theories are incommensurable with each other because each uses a different set of assumptions
the word implies a fundamental difference in the rule used for comparison, not just lack of relation.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

'Incommensurable' means two things are so different in their nature that no common standard can measure them both fairly — a philosophical or formal claim about the measuring system itself. 'Incomparable' usually praises one thing as so exceptional that nothing else matches it (e.g., 'her incomparable voice'). 'Disparate' describes things that are fundamentally different in kind without claiming that comparison is impossible ('disparate cultures can still find common ground'). 'Unlike' is a neutral, everyday word for difference ('unlike her brother, she enjoys hiking'). The antonym 'commensurable' is used when two things can share a legitimate measuring scale. Example: 'The two ethical systems are incommensurable, so neither is better — they operate on different moral foundations.'

incomparable ↗disparate ↗unlike ↗commensurable ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

From Latin 'in-' (not) + 'commensurabilis' (having a common measure), from 'com-' (together) + 'mensurare' (to measure). The word entered English in the mid-1500s through French and was originally a mathematical term for quantities without a common divisor. By the 1800s it had broadened into philosophy and general use to describe values, ideas, or systems that resist comparison by any single standard.

First known use

1570

1570, in the meaning defined above