inconoscibilis

Inconoscibilis is an adjective used in philosophy and related fields to denote something that is unknowable or beyond the reach of human knowledge. The term derives from Latin: in- meaning not, cognoscibilis from cognoscere "to know," with the suffix -bilis indicating capability. The combined form thus means "not knowable." It is a neo-Latin coinage rather than a classical Latin term, and appears primarily in discussions about epistemic limits rather than in everyday Latin usage.

In philosophical contexts inconoscibilis is used to designate aspects of reality or modes of being that exceed human cognitive faculties, either due to the nature of the object or the limits of human perception and reason. It is closely related to, and often contrasted with, cognoscibilis (knowable) and with Kantian distinctions between phenomena (appearances that are knowable) and noumena or things-in-themselves (often interpreted as inconoscibilia). In this sense the inconoscibilis may refer to metaphysical realities, theological mysteries, or empirical phenomena that lie beyond current theories and instruments.

The term is sometimes employed in discussions of apophatic theology, mysticism, and debates about scientific epistemic limits. Critics argue that labeling something as inconoscibilis can obscure methodological questions about whether a claim to unknowability is empirical, conceptual, or merely provisional. Related concepts include the noumenon, the thing-in-itself, epistemology, and the broader category of the unknowable.