online medical dictionary | definition of incongruous

Not congruous; reciprocally disagreeing; not capable of harmonising or readily assimilating; inharmonious; inappropriate; unsuitable; not fitting; inconsistent; improper; as, an incongruous remark; incongruous behavior, action, dress, etc. "Incongruous mixtures of opinions." . "Made up of incongruous parts." "Incongruous denotes that kind of absence of harmony or suitableness of which the taste and experience of men takes cognizance." (C. J.

<mathematics> Smith) Incongruous numbers, two numbers, which, with respect to a third, are such that their difference can not be divided by it without a remainder, the two numbers being said to be incongruous with respect to the third; as, twenty-five are incongruous with respect to four.

Synonyms: Inconsistent, unsuitable, inharmonious, disagreeing, absurd, inappropriate, unfit, improper. See Inconsistent.

Incon"gruously, Incon"gruousness.

Origin: L. Incongruus. See In- not, and Congruous.

(01 Mar 1998)