inconsistency

noun

Definition of inconsistencynext
as in error
something that is not in agreement with other information The job application was full of inconsistencies; even the applicant's name was spelled three different ways.

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of inconsistency Harbaugh knows Zvada’s potential and also his history of inconsistency. — Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 13 Aug. 2026 Our views on morality and indecency are rife with inconsistency and hypocrisy. — Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2026 The trial itself was filled with all manner of inconsistencies and contradictions. — Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026 At the same time, the department launched a random audit and found some inconsistencies in his traffic stop records. — Adam Thompson, CBS News, 10 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for inconsistency
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inconsistency
  1. error
  2. mistake
  3. discrepancy
  4. difference
  5. disparity
Noun
  • Smith allowed Boston to load the bases when Ceddanne Rafaela lined a single over a leaping Willy Adames, leaving him with no margin for error against the heart of Boston’s lineup.
    — Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 23 Aug. 2026
  • The Missouri Supreme Court overturned the verdict a year later, however, citing errors by the judge and concluding that the prosecution never proved a murder had even been committed.
    — Dan Kelly August 22, Kansas City Star, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of error
Noun
  • Dimensions | Getty Millions of people roll money from a workplace retirement plan to an individual retirement account each year — and mistakes can prove both costly and irreversible.
    — Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 24 Aug. 2026
  • To see how this works in practice, consider how Gemma might approach hiring Richard’s replacement to avoid repeating the same mistake.
    — Harvard Business Review, Harvard Business Review, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of mistake
Noun
  • When one important measure changes dramatically while other indicators move in a different direction, that discrepancy demands investigation.
    — Katie Pace Miles, New York Daily News, 25 Aug. 2026
  • That discrepancy came to a head last week when the city filed an answer to Kozakiewicz’s lawsuit that acknowledged Lucas’ role in ordering the report.
    — Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of discrepancy
Noun
  • Those ideas say some people are superior to others, and the inequality that exists in the world around us reflects those innate differences, and inequality is a good thing, and a necessary thing, and the only real way to organize social life.
    — John Blake, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Recent sales data suggest shoppers are responding to the price difference.
    — Beth Livesay, AJC.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of difference
Noun
  • Have there been any improvements in access to care or in addressing health disparities?
    — Maggie Donahue, HEALTH, 20 Aug. 2026
  • What the research shows The USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative released a landmark study in November 2025 revealing severe gender and racial disparities among the creators and guests of popular podcasts.
    — Frank Racioppi, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of disparity

Browse Nearby Words

inconsistencies
inconsistency
inconsistent
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Cite this Entry

“Inconsistency.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inconsistency. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on inconsistency

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about inconsistency

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