Incohaerent

Incohaerent is a rarely encountered English adjective that functions as a variant spelling of incoherent. In ordinary usage, it describes something that lacks logical unity, clarity, or consistency, such as an argument, explanation, or narrative that cannot be followed or understood. In scientific contexts, the term can also be used to refer to systems or phenomena that do not maintain a stable, coordinated relation among their parts.

Etymology and morphology are aligned with the standard word incoherent. The form derives from the Latin roots cohaerentia or cohaerent, meaning sticking together, with the negating prefix in- to indicate the absence of cohesion. The spelling with the digraph au (incohaerent) is older and far less common in contemporary English.

Usage and reception have shifted over time. In modern writing, incohaerent is typically treated as obsolete or regional, with incoherent—alongside more precise terms such as inconsistent, illogical, or incoherent in specific domains—being preferred. When encountered, incohaerent is usually interpreted as an archaic or stylistic variant rather than a distinct technical term.

See also: incoherence, coherence, cohere, cohaerent.