How Do You Spell INCOMMENSURABILITY?

Pronunciation: [ɪnkəmˌɛnʒəɹəbˈɪlɪti] (IPA)

The word "incommensurability" is a mouthful to say and spell. It is spelled with two "c"s, two "m"s, and three "n"s, which can be confusing. The IPA phonetic transcription for this word is ɪnkəˌmɛn(ʃ)ʊrəˈbɪləti. The stress is on the third syllable, and the "sh" sound is optional. Despite its difficult spelling, incommensurability is an important philosophical concept that refers to the inability to measure or compare two things, such as the incommensurability of art and science.

INCOMMENSURABILITY Meaning and Definition

1. Incommensurability is a concept that pertains to the inability to compare, measure, or quantify two or more things or phenomena using a common standard or unit of measurement. It suggests that certain entities or attributes are fundamentally different from one another, making it impossible to establish a rational or objective basis for comparison.

   The term often arises in various contexts, such as philosophy, science, mathematics, and social sciences. In philosophy, incommensurability refers to the notion that different concepts, theories, or worldviews cannot be compared or ranked against one another due to their inherent incompatibility. This can arise from differences in assumptions, values, methodologies, or even ontological perspectives. In scientific discourse, it can imply that two competing theories or paradigms are irreconcilable because they employ fundamentally distinct frameworks or concepts.

   In mathematics, incommensurability typically refers to the property of two numbers that cannot be expressed as a simple ratio, or in other words, they do not have a common denominator. For example, the square root of 2 is an irrational number and is considered incommensurable with whole numbers, as it cannot be expressed as a fraction or ratio. This concept can be extended to geometric figures as well, such as squares and circles, which are considered incommensurable due to their differing properties.

   In summary, incommensurability reflects the idea that certain entities, attributes, theories, or concepts cannot be compared or measured against one another using a common standard or unit, often due to inherent differences or complexities.

2. Quality or state of being incommensurable.

   Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.

Common Misspellings for INCOMMENSURABILITY

• uncommensurability
• jncommensurability
• kncommensurability
• oncommensurability
• 9ncommensurability
• 8ncommensurability
• ibcommensurability
• imcommensurability
• ijcommensurability
• ihcommensurability
• inxommensurability
• invommensurability
• infommensurability
• indommensurability
• incimmensurability
• inckmmensurability
• inclmmensurability
• incpmmensurability
• inc0mmensurability

Etymology of INCOMMENSURABILITY

The word "incommensurability" has its roots in Latin and Greek. The term originally comes from the Latin word "incommensurabilis", which means "not capable of being measured together". This Latin word is derived from the combination of the prefix "in-" meaning "not" or "un-", the word "com-" meaning "together", and the word "mensurabilis" meaning "able to measure".

The Latin root is ultimately derived from the Greek word "inakomisouria", which also means "not capable of being measured together". "Inakomisouria" is a compound word consisting of the prefix "in-" similar to Latin, and the Greek word "akomisouria" meaning "measurable together".

Plural form of INCOMMENSURABILITY is INCOMMENSURABILITIES