inconsistent

The word “inconsistent” means not staying the same over time; unpredictable or unreliable. In plain terms, not staying steady or matching up — either changing unpredictably, or contradicting something else.

“Inconsistent” is pronounced ihn-kuhn-SIHS-tuhnt (/ˌɪnkənˈsɪstənt/ in IPA).

Here is “inconsistent” used in a sentence: “The team's performance has been inconsistent all season.”

“Inconsistent” is an adjective.

“Inconsistent” is a fairly common word in modern English.

“Inconsistent” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: not staying the same over time; unpredictable or unreliable.

Inconsistent describes something that is unpredictable or does not stay the same over time, such as inconsistent performance, or two statements that do not agree with each other. Contradictory is stronger, meaning two statements directly oppose or negate each other, so all contradictory statements are inconsistent, but not all inconsistent behavior is fully contradictory.

Saying someone is inconsistent usually means their behavior, effort, or performance varies unpredictably rather than staying steady and reliable over time. For example, an inconsistent employee might do excellent work one week and poor work the next.

Yes, inconsistent can describe statements, data, or arguments that contradict themselves or each other, meaning they cannot all be true at the same time. This logical sense is common in debates, reports, and testimony.