inconsistency

noun

in·​con·​sis·​ten·​cy ˌin-kən-ˈsi-stən(t)-sē 

1

: an instance of being inconsistent

2

: the quality or state of being inconsistent

Examples of inconsistency in a Sentence

Police noticed inconsistency in his two statements.

Customers have been complaining about the inconsistency in the quality of service they have received.

The team's biggest problem has been inconsistency: it has played well at times, but at other times it has played very poorly.

There is some inconsistency in her argument.

Careful editing of the entire text has eliminated inconsistencies of style.

We noted a major inconsistency in his story.

Recent Examples on the Web

Martin, who is averaging 10.0 points per game, struggled with illness and inconsistency during the first half of the season. —Matt Le Cren, Chicago Tribune, 27 Feb. 2025

This growth potential stems from the inefficiencies of traditional trade finance systems, including operational bottlenecks, pricing inconsistencies and limited market access. —Andreas Schweitzer, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025

There's obviously been some inconsistencies over the course of this year already in multiple series. —Ross Rosenfeld, Newsweek, 26 Feb. 2025

At this point, though, considering the new look of the roster, team-wide pattern of squandering leads and game-to-game inconsistencies, Miami would sooner settle for a string of wins before thinking ahead to much else. —James Jackson, The Athletic, 25 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1647, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for inconsistency

• consistency
• persistency

Kids Definition

inconsistency

noun

in·​con·​sis·​ten·​cy ˌin-kən-ˈsis-tən-sē 

plural inconsistencies

1

: the quality or state of being inconsistent

2

: an example of being inconsistent