incommensurable
adjective
No English definition recorded for this entry.
L337611 on Wikidata ↗Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /ɪnkəˈmɛnʃ(ə)ɹəbəl/ / /ɪnkəˈmɛnsjʊəɹəbəl/ / /ɪn.kəˈmɛnt͡ʃ.ɹə.bəl/
adj
Etymology: From Middle French incommensurable, from Medieval Latin incommensurabilis. Its full etymology is equivalent to that of in- + commensurable.
- having a ratio that is not expressible as a fraction of two integers.
“The side and diagonal of a square are incommensurable with each other; the diameter and circumference of a circle are incommensurable.”
- having no common integer divisor except 1.
- Not able to be measured by the same standards as another term in the context.
noun
Etymology: From Middle French incommensurable, from Medieval Latin incommensurabilis. Its full etymology is equivalent to that of in- + commensurable.
- An incommensurable value or quantity; an irrational number.
“Unfortunately for Pythagoras, his theorem led at once to the discovery of incommensurables, which appeared to disprove his whole philosophy.”