INCOMPREHENSION Synonyms: 26 Similar and Opposite Words

incomprehension

noun

(ˌ)in-ˌkäm-pri-ˈhen(t)-shən

Definition of incomprehension

as in misunderstanding

a failure to understand correctly the anthropologist's apparent incomprehension of the ceremonial rites she describes in her book surprised reviewers

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Recent Examples of incomprehension For someone like me, brought up Catholic, mortal sin has remained the secret par excellence, a pagan custom, delicious in its dark-ness and all the human incomprehension that surrounds it. — Literary Hub, 31 Mar. 2026 There is, equally, a certain childish hope that Vuong’s reader will approach him with the benevolent incomprehension of a maternal figure. — Andrea Long Chu, Vulture, 6 May 2025 At this point, armed with insights about labor, the commodity, and the money-form, the reader may be shedding any melancholy incomprehension—but can’t yet have arrived at angry lucidity. — Benjamin Kunkel, Harpers Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025 The piece, as is true of much of my reporting, grew from my own incomprehension and curiosity about what was going on. — Nathan Heller, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for incomprehension

Recent Examples of Synonyms for incomprehension

misunderstanding

Noun

That tension may stem from a fundamental misunderstanding of intent, according to Grimaldi, creator and editor-in-chief of online lifestyle magazine The Zillennial Zine.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026
McKinney thinks Roy’s emphasis on fighting Trump speaks to a misunderstanding of the job.

— James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of misunderstanding

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“Incomprehension.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incomprehension. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of incomprehension

noun

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